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Counter Earth Chronicles - Fallen Empire

Chapter 64: There Is Enough Guilt To Go Around Without Grabbing For More (Home Part III)

I am not quite sure how long I was immobilized but it felt like days in that abandoned house somewhere in the lost city. I had nothing but my thoughts to keep me company. I still felt ill, but had successfully stopped vomiting- I just felt rather queasy.

As for the isolation part- I think Commander Rhinox and Lady Barq had considered me lost and now that I had returned they weren't quite sure what to do with me.

Hell, I wasn't quite sure what to do with me. My family and friends did not visit either probably fearing that I was a advanced scout of the entity and the harbinger of a coming invasion.

So there I sat. Early morning past, then noon, then afternoon, then evening and night. I tried to sleep- which was next to impossible, as a combined being I did not have need for sleep. I wasn't hungry or thirsty either. As an Other, ONE sustained me.

The only thing I heard was the dissenting voices on the other side of the door questioning the decisions made by the leadership of the colony and whether they had doomed us all by taking me back. From the sounds of it there had been some changes since my departure.

Day 170 (4:33 AM)

In the early morning hour the door to the room I was in opened. I heard paw-steps; slow and labored paw steps.

“Is it safe?" A female voice asked.

(Lady Ursa!)

“I think so." The second voice answered.

(Shakara!)

“Are you sure?" My perfect person asked my devious person.

“Pretty sure my lady. If he was indeed spying for the entity I am confident

we would have been overrun by now and you would be the only survivor." The lioness said to the bear.

“Shakara, mistress is that you?" I asked.

“He seems normal." The lioness said.

“Are you absolutely sure?" My fierce ursine warrior asked.

“He is not speaking in the third person. But, there is one way to find out." My devious person said.

“Shakara don't!" I heard my warrior bear shout.

I felt a soft paw fish through the viscous grey fluid and clasp my hand.

“It is Alex and just Alex." The healer of the lost city proclaimed.

“Shakara that was very reckless and very foolish!" My lady bear said chastising the lioness. “What if you had been wrong?"

“It wouldn't matter I need him. You do too." Shakara said.

Another paw reached out to clasp my other hand.

“Shakara, mistress... I am sorry..." I bleated. “This was all my fault!"

A portion of the vicious grey matter was removed from my torso and then....

*OOF*

I gasped as I received a punch to the gut.

“You are damned right it is your fault!" My females said in unison.

“My carelessness caused this separation, my enslavement and hurt the ones that I love."

“If you mean nearly ending Ursa and myself you are right again!" The dark tan lioness said berating me.

“Shakara." Lady Ursa said.

“She and I are very lucky Lady Barq and Corbin ran into you in World Three." Ms. Kubari said continuing.

“I heard. I thought that by now both of you would have... would have..."

“We came close but didn't pet." My bear warrior said.

“How?"

“Lady Ursa had a small supply of your essence for away missions. We made it last for the better part of two and a half months and then restocked when Lady Barq caught up with you." Shakara said removing the rest of the grey matter from my naked body.

My fierce ursine warrior removed my blindfold. Groggily I stood up to face my bear and lioness. Lady Ursa looked weak- I mean her bulk, was still there, but her ferocity had softened. Like she was coming out of an illness. Shakara had a softened weak physical appearance as well.

Both were wearing different clothing. My brown bear was wearing a one piece leather skirt, with shoulder pads and breast protectors. It was similar to what the orc sisters had been wearing; very barbarian looking. Shakara was wearing a green one-piece it looked like a dress with a strap to hold up the part covering her chest and a large flap covering her groin and behind that resembled a modified loin-cloth. Both were giving me the impression that they had been homemade.

“I can't apologize enough." I said.

“No you can't." Shakara said.

I then hugged and kissed my lovers before my bear started sniffing me.

“You have some peculiar scents about you pet." Lady Ursa said looking down at me as Shakara joined in.

“I smell bull, orc, harpy and dingo." Shakara said sniffing my arms, torso and then groin. “Alex did you?"

“Not by choice... I assure you."

“Is he carrying any diseases?" The bear asked the lioness.

Shakara gave me a through going over as Lady Ursa removed the rest of the grey matter from my body.

“Apart from his penis being where it shouldn't have been, internally he is clean, externally though he isn't and then there is that cut Ananias gave him..."

“How do you feel pet?" My lady bear said holding me steady while Shakara saw to the wound on my arm with her med-kit.

“Queasy, weak and unsteady." I replied to my females.

“Side effects from being separated." Shakara concluded.

“How is it that he is separated Shakara? Did ONE reject him?"

“I am still working on that my lady." The devious lioness said.

“It was the other way around. I rejected the entity." I said to my females.

“How is that even within the realm of possibility?! During our aborted rescue, Sir Ram and I realized that the synoptic had grabbed hold and was not going to let go of you for anything." My lady bear commented.

“Sir Ram was exposed but freed himself from the entity." Shakara countered.

“That was after tricking it into thinking he had fatally injured himself rather than being possessed." Lady Ursa countered.

“Um, how is he?" I asked the bear and lioness.

“Maimed." The two responded in unison.

“Oh."

I didn't have the courage to inquire any further.

“After your capture he, Mara, Primrose and Cody did what they could to shore up our resources before returning to the time stream." My bear knight said.

“As far as we know they are still trying to destroy the entity and correct the timeline." My lioness added.

“That is going to be very difficult to do." I said to my females. “No one knows what the entity looks like. I never determined what ONE's true form is despite being in its service for the last three months. At this point I wonder if it even has a real form."

“Not another word pet." Lady Ursa said shushing me.

“Huh?" I said.

“What she means is that if you are going to start spilling your guts, I should go and get our leaders." The horny lioness said leaving the room.

My warrior bear explained that I was being kept in a small house at the outer edge of the underground city.

“So... I sense that there have been some changes since my departure." I said to my she beast fishing.

“Many." She said simply.

“Who is the gorilla?"

“One of many additions to the lost city pet. It has become a place for survivors and refugees."

Fifth-teen minutes later Shakara returned with Lady Barq and Commander Rhinox. The two hadn't changed in the slightest.

“How do you feel son?" The rhino warrior asked me.

“Naked, weak, queasy but liberated."

“We were a bit concerned when you, you..." Commander Rhinox started to say.

“Stopped moving." The horny lioness said completing his sentence.

“And speaking." Lady Barq added.

“ONE's departing present. If it couldn't have me, then no one could." I said to the beastials present.

“He came out of it on his own commander." My bear said to the lioness, rhino and badger.

“Good we need to have a chat." Lady Barq said pulling up a chair and sitting down next to mine, ignoring the fact that I was stark naked and dirty.

“Yes ma'am." I said returning to my chair.

Shakara, Rhinox and Lady Ursa did the same.

“Sharkara?" The badger warrior asked the resident healer.

“As far I can tell ma'am it is just him." My devious person said.

“So he doesn't belong to the synoptic any longer?" The rhino warrior asked. “How can we be sure it is not lying dormant deep within waiting to attack?"

“We don't." My perfect person said. “But it is not present now."

Lady Ursa took Shakara's paw and placed it on my hand. Lady Barq and Commander Rhinox watched the lioness looking for any tell tale signs that she had become an Other. There were none.

My bear knight then guided the badger and rhino's paws to touch my hands. Both were apprehensive at first- but were relieved when like Shakara, nothing happened.

“Shakara did you compare his blood sample with the one Barq took on the away mission?" The Commander asked.

“I did sir. They were identical. Unfortunately that isn't a tell tale sign of possession."

“Damn." He responded.

“Ok Alex let's start with the obvious why did you return to us?" The badger warrior said beginning the interrogation. “Last we spoke you said that it would endanger everyone in the city- but here you are."

“Somehow I was able to break free of the entity's hold on me and resist it." I said to the beastials present.

“You better start at the beginning pet." My bear knight said placing her paw on my shoulder.

“Well after I was captured, I was given a tour of that building where Sir Ram's lab was by the orc siblings. The two females were minions of the entity their brother was not. He chose to stick around to be with his sisters despite the synoptic's rejection."

“Alex when were you turned?" Commander Rhinox asked.

“Take your time little cutie." Shakara said as I started tearing up remembering that day from three months prior.

“It was shortly afterwards- the entity revealed that it was reforming what was left of World Five into a new metropolis- a crystal city. It was attempting to do this in all of the former cities of the empire. I was shown a vision of the project's completion. It was at that moment that both orcs female touched me, very lewdly."

“What was it like?" Lady Barq asked.

“My conscious was thrust aside as my body was over taken. I could see and feel everything but not act."

“Sir Ram and I tried very hard to free you hours later but we were too late." Lady Ursa said. Even she was getting emotional.

“I will never forget that look you gave me as the both of you fled." I said crying. “It was like I was within the embrace of a demon and could do nothing about it."

“Do you need a moment?" Shakara said redirecting the conversation.

I shook my head.

“So what happened after your indoctrination?" The badger warrior asked.

“I was welcomed into the fold and given a variety of tasks to serve the synoptic's grand plan- I worked as grave digger, medic, monster hunter, investigator, spy and appropriations."

“Appropriations little cutie?"

“I brought every survivor I could find into the collective." I said hanging my head in shame.

“Shakara, he turned them into Others." The bear said to the lioness.

“It is ok son we know you were under another's influence." The Commander said gently.

“Even so, I loved making Others!" I said crying again. “The helpless, the powerless and the distressed. I loved watching their fur bristle as they were taken over, their problems made meaningless as they were now forced to serve the ONE."

My revelation silenced everybeast in the room.

“So what is ONE's master plan Alex?" Lady Barq asked switching directions.

“As far as I can tell, repurposing and colonization of the five cities and then likely the rest of the planet. Additionally ONE realized that I was different from Alexander Winter; it claimed that I had certain abilities beyond what I know now that not even I or it was aware of. I guess looking back that was why I was tasked with many assignments; it was trying to determine what those abilities were and how I fit within its plans."

“So you were the teacher's pet project, why return then?" Lady Barq asked the obvious question.

“Barq!" My fierce ursine warrior said asking her rival.

“It is a relevant question my dear." The Commander said jumping in.

“I realized that to the synoptic we were nothing but tools to be wielded for its grand scheme. ONE promises a future of equality, peace, where harmony is the mainstay. The rub is it doesn't exactly state how that will come about."

“Through slavery, subjugation and domination." My mistress said.

“Exactly. During the time I was there it referred to me not as Alex Winter but little slave. I also noticed the reaction or lack of when it lost peons due to miscalculations. They were just forgotten." I said to the beastials present with me. “The most recent example was when it sacrificed my pod during that extraterrestrial attack."

Shakara, Lady Barq, Lady Ursa and Commander Rhinox locked eyes on me. “I realized that if I was going to escape- this was the time."

“Alex did you sense that any of its other minions shared your beliefs or came to the same conclusions?" The rhino warrior asked.

“Only Bess, Tess and Guana. The buffalo calves were unhappy with their station in the new order. Guana wanted her freedom from the collective. But the rest of those that I encountered enjoyed being Others- Lea, Yama Kite. I heard Tauren and Lurie as well."

Lady Ursa gasped. “If that is true Alex, I fear our friends are lost to us forever."

“What was it like being an Other little cutie?" My lioness asked.

“It is bad Shakara." My fierce ursine warrior said.

“It sucked. Imaging surrendering your free will while another takes control of your body and all you can do is sit back and watch. That same individual can then deactivate and store you like a hover vehicle when not in use."

“That wasn't always the case- you seemed to be in control when Corbin and I met you in World Three." Lady Barq chimed in.

“From time to time it will allow its minions to drive. That was one of the circumstances where it was necessary...." I responded to the badger warrior.

“Pet are you okay?" My perfect person asked as I seemed to zone out.

No! I don't want to be a zombie! A little snow leopard screamed backing away from me at the remains of a makeshift camp.

But there is no future here little cub. Your shelter is destroyed, your supplies exhausted, your family is deceased and you are alone. I responded approaching him.

I don't care! The little boy shouted running into a tattered snow covered tent.

Listen little one, with no beast to care for you, you will soon join them. We invite you to join our collective. Think of it as another family, much larger than yours where we work and play together as ONE. I said peeking into the tent and looking at the terrified cub.

Demona approached from the opposite end smiling at the boy. Between the two of us we had him cornered. We were prepared to take him by force if he chose death over zombie-ism.

Will I ever be alone? He asked looking at the harpy and myself.

Never again. I responded holding out my hand. He thought carefully before reaching out his paw and in an instant all his problems in his insignificant life became irrelevant. Only the synoptic mattered. I smiled as his fur bristled during his awakening.

Ah, this youngling is a prodigy we will add his talents and distinctiveness to our collective. The entity said assuming control.

“Alex are you okay?" Lady Ursa asked again.

“What? Huh?"

“You seemed like you were far, far away little cutie." Shakara said.

“What was that?" Lady Barq said as the commander pulled out his service weapon.

“It is the entity!" Rhinox said aiming.

“Damn, even away from ONE, it is still happening." I said holding my hands up.

“What was that Alex?" My brown bear said petting my head with her paw.

“It was the shimmer."

“What is the shimmer?" The Commander said lowering his weapon.

“I see the faces of my victims. I just relieved the awakening of a cub I encountered outside the city. I thought it would have stopped by now. I guess not."

“How is that even happening?" My bear asked the lioness.

Shakara shook her head.

“It is like a aftershock from a Counter Earthquake. It is the universe's way of punishing me for being an Other." I said hugging my bear.

“Alex you eluded that ONE has had difficulties." Commander Rhinox stated.

“Yes repurposing of the former cities has gone well in World One and until recently World Five. The entity has been less so elsewhere." I said to my interrogators.

“Well World Two is a mess- there are many factions vying for control of that city including the entity." Shakara said.

“In World Three, ONE wiped out too much of the populace which reduced the amount of potential minions it had there." I said.

“How many are there?" Lady Barq asked me.

“About thirty; they located in the remains of a space-station that crashed in the wilderness a long, time ago. I suspect that was how the entity arrived on this world by using space faring technology from another."

There was brief pause while Rhinox and Barq started taking notes.

“What about World Four?" The Commander asked.

“There is a resistance movement there two of the locals recovered Attack Beast from the Knights of Sogreth and are waging war against the synoptic's followers." I said as the rhino warrior and badger continued to write furiously.

“Sounds like some individuals we should get to know." Lady Barq said.

“Additionally there is the tar creature that Shakara, Corbin and I encountered; it is also an enemy of ONE. It has thwarted the entity's attempts to expand into its territory."

“Hmm....."

“Don't think about it Commander- that creature whatever it is, is quite hostile." The dark tan lioness said.

I did not relay exactly what my devious person had done so that we could escape the creature's clutches months ago.

“This was a good debriefing Alex." The rhino said. “Barq and I will have Feleen verify your intel."

As the commander and badger stood up from their chairs, Lady Ursa asked the obvious question to the room.

“Commander how long are we going to keep Alex here?"

“I don't know my dear." Rhinox responded.

“Until we are absolutely sure what he said is true and that he poses no danger to the rest of us." The badger responded.

“How long with that be?" The dark tan lioness asked.

My female's inquiries were met with silence.

“That is fine." I said. “Whatever is necessary to placate everyone."

“In the current climate, that is not possible." My bear knight said.

I looked at my females curiously.

“We will explain later." Shakara said.

And so after being detained in a abandoned house at the edge of the lost city, those running it decided to keep me there until further notice for the colony's safety. So I spent the bulk of my time in isolation.

My perfect person and my devious person had other ideas. After Rhinox and Barq left Shakara and my mistress found a wooden tub, filled it with water, brought it back to the house and decided to clean their little human.

“Hold still little cutie." My lioness said rechecking my vitals as Lady Ursa prepared my bath. “Your cellular structure is in disarray."

“I was punished several times during my tenure for disobedience." I said to the horny she beast.

“I would like to hear about that." Shakara said continuing the examination.

“We will have plenty of time to catch up Shakara." Lady Ursa said pouring several jugs of water into the wooden tub. “Any change in his condition from earlier?"

“Still queasy, still dirty and full of odd scents." The horny lioness said as she picked me up and placed me in tub.

“Spread your legs and arms." My lady bear ordered.

As I complied the dark tan lioness casually grabbed my testicles and smelled my crotch.

“HEY!"

“As I suspected these did get some use during his time away and the scents emanating from him are proof of that." Shakara concluded.

“Then I suggest we do something about it." The bear said as she started lathering me up. Lady Ursa cleaned my arms, neck, hair, head, face, back, shoulders and torso while Shakara (obviously) focused on everything below that. Including my nether regions.

“Misgivings pet?"

“I am wondering if it was a good idea to come back."

“You were a founding member of this community and you had no where else to go." My bear said washing my hair.

“But I merged with the enemy, I became the enemy..."

“You were, but someONE else was pulling strings you were for the most part just its vessel." The dark tan lioness said rinsing me.

My females took their time drying me off.

“Alex was it really that bad?" The red eyed lioness asked.

“Shakara!" Lady Ursa shouted.

“It is a relevant question he was inside a harpy and two orcs and a dingo slept on him." The horny female said paying specific attention to my penis.

“She is right- I did like the between."

“The between pet?"

“I am not sure how to describe it, but essentially it is a back channel Others use to communicate with when offline. I used this meeting place to reach out to Lea, Yama Kite and Bess to see how they were doing but for some reason it didn't come easy, in fact it was down right difficult. It came easy to all of the entity's minions, peons, vessels- even the newly awakened but not me. Especially toward the end, I needed assistance to reach out."

“GAH!!" I shouted as the lioness moved the cloth from my front to my back focusing on the crease between my butt.

“Looks like his pelvis saw more usage than his rear." My devious person said inspecting my back passage.

“Shakara there are other parts of him that need drying." My bear said chastising the lioness who was lost in thought.

“I think I have it!" Shakara explained grabbing my butt. “I know why Alex had difficulty using the between and ultimately why he was able to come back to us!"

“We are listening Ms. Kubari." My bear said.

“He wasn't an Other. Well, completely an Other." My devious person concluded.

Alex Winter June 25, YOE 34