FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Starfall: Chapter 13: Adjustments

Muzzle open and panting slowly, Usako pushes herself into a sitting position, catching herself from saying something a moment later. ‘Karma Dammit taser collar…’ Glancing over to Pippin, Usako grumbles.

‘She seems to have only gotten a lite shock from me being on her, and yet she’s on the ground too.’

Pippin grabbing the side of the fence, slowly pulls herself up onto her feet. Shakily rocking back and forth to remove the pins and needles sensation. ‘Can’t tell if they’re numb from all that work or from those shocks.’ Looking over to Usako, Pippin's ears cocked back with her tail still.

[What did you do to make Angela so angry?]

Usako tilts her head a bit at Pippin’s gaze, slowly getting her breathing under control as she stares back at the red furred female wolf Bio-Morph. ‘Do you really expect me to try to answer you? I can’t talk, and I know you ‘know’ what just happened, even if I can’t understand a word you just said.’

Folding her ears back further in frustration, Pippin huffs. [Right. You speak, that thing shocks you more. Sigh, not to mention you don’t understand a word I’m saying, right? Flick your tail if you do and you’re just acting like that for shits and giggles?]

A few seconds of staring at Usako’s non-moving tail causes Pippin to sigh that ends in a whine.

Using the fence as a crutch for a few moments more, Pippin limps over to Usako, and gently grabs her arm, drawing her attention solely on Pippin.

Meeting each other’s gaze, Usako flattens her ears and raises her lips. ‘Let go of me! I’m not some helpless mammal you can pity!’

Huffing loudly. [Fine, help yourself up to your own damned feet.] Letting go, Pippin staggers a bit, slowly regaining her footing while walking towards her residential container.

‘I hope the cooling thing works today… It’s damn hot out right now.’ Nearing the door, she glances back over to Usako.

Usako’s slow breathing morphs back into full on panting while she rubs feeling back into her legs, rather than the pins and needles sensation.

Slowly she manages to push herself up onto them, staggering a bit and having to lunge for the fence to steady herself, she eventually returns Pippin’s gaze.

Folding her ears a bit, Pippin sighs. [If you can walk, get over here. During summer the heat doesn’t peak till mid-afternoon, unless you want to get heat sickness.]

Letting go of the fence, Usako looks over at Pippin, tilting her head a little before taking a few wobbly steps. ‘My body didn’t act like this when they had us feel what tasers are like in basic. Then again, they only shocked us once, not multiple times so close together.’

Taking it slow, her hobbling gait’s quickly replaced with a slight limp, then just simple stiffness by the time Usako makes it next to Pippin.

Opening the door, Pippin lets out a small whine as only slightly cooler air hits her muzzle. Stepping inside, Pippen lets Usako enter before slamming the door shut behind herself.

Standing there, Usako gawks at the place once Pippin pulls aside the thin privacy curtain. Revealing four cots attached to the walls, and the minimal accommodations further within. The red-fur covered lupine Bio-Morph limps inside and collapses onto the lower bunk on one side.

[Just don’t stand there… come on in and sit down.] Pippin points to a spot next to her.

Slowly limping over to the bunk, Usako sees two other ones on the wall opposite of the set Pippin is sitting on. ‘This.. This is just wrong. It’s way too small for a mammal Pippin’s size to be considered anything but a prison cell. Let alone the three other scents in here.’

Sitting down, next to Pippin, the red fur covered Bio-Morph’s ear’s flick then lower.

‘Dammit, shouldn’t of sat down before grabbing them.’

Sighing, Pippin hauls herself back to her feet with a whine of pain, taking a single step forward to rummage through what appears to be junk to Usako on the upper bunk in front of them. Pippin’s tail wags once before she moves to sit back down next to her, causing the bunk to bounce.

In her hands is an ancient looking pencil, old enough the protective coating over the soft wood has mostly chipped away. Along with a thick pad of paper, filled with slightly yellowed and crumpled sheets that they don’t look perfectly flat anymore.

‘So she knows how to write like Charlie.’ Idly rubbing her legs to fight their aching, Usako watches Pippin first take the pencil and adjust it in her hand-paw a few times. Followed by slow and deliberate movements as she pens her words.

‘I guess she never got much practice writing.’

After a few minutes, Pippin hands the zootopian arctic fox the writing utensils. Tilting her head a bit, it takes Uskao a moment to decipher the kit like rough English scrawled over the page.

{What did you do to make Angela so angry?}

‘Honestly, other than what ‘was’ a misunderstanding, and my over reaction that I apologized for. I do not know.’ Picking up the pencil, the door to the residential container opens the moment Usako touches the tip to the paper.

The thin curtain’s parted again, and the aging Balto with Anna behind him enter. Both pausing upon seeing Pippin, and Usako sitting on Charlie’s bunk.

Anna sits down on the bunk opposite them as Balto looks at his daughter. Ears somewhere in between curiosity of seeing the strange Bio-Morph Charlie spoke about in their home, and anger that someone he doesn’t know is in his den without his permission.

Giving a weak smile back to her father, Pippin has her ears lowered submissively. [Hello dad. Um, long story short, Usako, the strange Bio-Morph char-char talked about will be staying here. Or well, in the pen with the pack…]

Anna looks over Usako with a similar look as her mate, only to look over at Balto once he sits down on the bunk next to her.

[I seem to recall Charlie saying she can speak English, rather than being forced to speak the tongue. Why hasn’t she introduced herself yet?] Folding his ears back, Balto continues to stare at his daughter.

‘I may not know what they’re saying, but I ‘know’ that look, the elder gray wolf must be Pippin’s father, and he must not be happy about this.’ Usako’s ears lower a bit.

Shifting on the bed, preventing her tail from going between her legs, Pippin sighs and looks at her father. [Usako pissed off Angela well before today it seems. To the point Angela shocked her, a lot, and set her collar to shock her more if she even makes the smallest sound. So Usako, that’s her name by the way, can’t speak anymore. Since Angela ordered me to carry Usako, I got a few shocks as well.]

Turning his attention to Usako, Balto glares at her with an authoritative look on his muzzle, eyes, and ears. In response, Usako doesn’t stop her tail from going between her legs…

‘Angela grabbed me when I was trying to leave. So Don’t look at me like that!’ Her ears fold back against her head, making Balto’s ears flatten.

Glancing between the three, Anna huffs. [Why didn’t Steven stop her like he normally does? He was the one who took you this morning hun.]

Raising her ears as Pippin looks at her mother, she lowers her shoulders. [That’s because, well. I don’t understand it, but some other humans showed up in a flying machine thing, it was ‘very’ noisy, and took him away. Before that happened, he was talking with Usako about a citizen’s responsibility or whatever that is.]

Both Balto’s and Anna’s postures instantly deflate with drooping ears upon hearing the word ‘citizen’s responsibility’.

Letting out a small whine, Balto looks at his mate. [We will most likely not see Steven again…]

Tilting her head a bit. Usako looks between the three. ‘Wait, what? They had such aggressive body language, only for it to instantly go away when Pippin said something.’ Flipping the page she writes.

{I’m sorry if me being stuck here has disappointed you in some way. Not my fault that Angela holds an extreme grudge on people.} Holding it out in front of her, Usako shows it to each of them.

Pippin only places her hand over her muzzle as her father, Balto shakes his head. Anna though, she gently takes the pencil and paper from Usako. The moment it’s in her paws, she scribbles underneath where Usako wrote.

{Ignore my Mate and Daughter. I can see you can’t understand the tongue. We’re saddened that we will not see Steven again, we know about the responsibilities of citizens. I also know Angela has a bit of a temper, though, I want to know how you set it off?}

With that, Anna hands the two items back to Uasko with a lopsided friendly grin. Hinting that despite her age, she seems spry.

Taking it, Usako flips the page, trying to ignore Pippin looking over her shoulder as she writes. ‘Now I’m ‘really’ regretting not even learning a lick of Ancient Lupine. This is annoying as fuck.’

{A misunderstanding, more or less. Waking up after falling unconscious due to my injuries received from the crash landing, finding this damned collar on me, getting shocked the first time. As well as seeing a ‘human’ for the first time. So I ran, Angela tried to grab me as I went into the upstairs hallway. So I reacted as I was trained to do upon being grabbed with hostile intent. I punctured her wrist, dislocated her shoulder, and nearly took her arm to subdue her.}

Usako hands it back to Anna. Balto moving to lean over her shoulder.

[Well, that’s a good reason as to why Angela’s acting like this.] Pippin huffs.

Looking between his mate, his daughter and Usako, Balto tilts an ear. [Crash? Was she in a car? First time seeing a human? She’s a Bio-Morph, albeit a small one for being as mature as she smells. How could she never have seen a Human before?]

[Yea dad, I don’t know. You’re going to have to ask Char-Char about it when he gets back. He knows more than me about her, other than Steven or Angela.] Usako points to the pad and pencil, so Anna relinquishes it to her.

{Look, I don’t understand what you’re saying, what I do know is I need a place to sleep tonight. I don’t fancy doing so outside as it’s too warm for my fur! You seem to have a spare bunk, so can I sleep in here where it’s marginally cooler?} Turning the pad around, Usako shows it to Balto and Anna.

‘Despite Charlie being in charge of the pack, his parents seem to be in charge of him and his sister in here from Pippin’s body language.’

Both the older Bio-Morphs look at each other.

[I was actually going to suggest that, it would be rude otherwise] Anna gives a small smile to Balto, who sighs and shakes his head before looking about the small space inside the residential container.

[Space is tight as it is. Don’t know where we’re going to put our belongings other than on the table out in the open.]

Glancing over to her daughter for a moment, then Usako. Anna looks back at Balto with a grin. [She can always sleep with Charlie. Maybe it will get him interested in sleeping with other females as well once he sees how good it can be. She smells mature despite her small size.]

Tilting her head curiously, Usako stares at Pippin whose ears shot up while all her fur puffs out. ‘What did Pippin’s mother just say to get her to react like that?’

Pippin stares wide-eyed at her mother. [Mom! I neither want to hear nor smell char-char having sex bellow me!]

[Well Pipi, I’m not getting any younger! I want grand-cubs. You haven’t exactly been looking at the eligible males, well, since Mark left. You are my age when I had Charlie and you’re not getting any younger.]

Balto sighs, standing up. ‘Not getting involved with this argument again…’ Turning, he grabs an armful of the stuff on the bunk above his and Anna’s. Forcing Usako to duck to the side to avoid getting smacked in the muzzle by his tail as he heads for the table further in the container.

‘Seriously, how do they stand it? Being so cramped in here?’ She watches as Balto, arms full of most likely the grand total of the entire family’s possessions, shimmying past the bunks to the rickety table in the back.

Pippin Huffs loudly. [Mom! I grew up with everyone here. Sure, a few of the guys grew up to be absolute hunks from gross boys. Except I can still remember what they looked like before! Besides, I’m far from the best looking woman here! Elsa has that honor. I swear she must have some, what did you call it, in her.] Holding her hand out, rotating it a little, prompting someone to answer.

[They’re called pleasure breeds Pi-pi.] Balto answers, he carefully places each item on the table.

Usako watches as Pippin glances at Balto. [Thank you dad… and please don’t use that nickname in front of Usako.] Then, looking back at her mother Anna.

[How am I going to compete with that? She has most the eligible males wrapped around her paw including my brother!]

Taking the few steps back to the cot, Balto holds his hand out for the pad and pencil. [Not like Usako can understand what we’re saying. Unless you were lying about that?]

Usako gently hands over the writing utensils to Balto.

Grinning a bit, Anna lets out a playful huff. [You’re just going to have to step up your game then hun! Take extra time to brush your fur, maybe be more willing to volunteer for work, which will build up your physic. For example, if you put some muscle onto your chest it will make it look like your breasts are bigger than they actually are. You may even rival Elsa that way.]

Putting a finger on the edge of her muzzle, she hmms.

Then tilts her head a bit. ‘Come to think of it, the son of the couple at the end of the stack would be a nice match for Pippin. He seems interested in her at least, or at least that’s what his parents say.’

Balto looks at Pippin with a loving smile. [Just remember that your mother means well.] He hands Usako the pad of paper and pencil.

{You’re welcome to stay here for the foreseeable future Usako, or until Angela calms down. As you can see I cleared the bunk above the one Anna and I share. I apologize that we don’t have a blanket to give you and the pillow has never been used, if you have to stay here till winter we will have to try to solve that somehow.}

Picking up the pencil, Usako flips the page, only to stop as Pippin whines loudly. Hiding her muzzle in her paws while bringing her legs up to her chest before wrapping her tail around her legs.

‘What’s got pippin so embarrassed?’

{Thank you, hopefully it won’t take that long till Steven returns and this is all fixed.} Turning it to show the pad of paper to Balto, Usako hmms, then pulls it back to add a bit more.

{If anything I may be too warm during winter if I’m stuck out here till then, even now my summer coat is a bit much for how hot it is outside.} Placing the pencil on top of the pad of paper, Usako hands it back to Balto.

Muttering lightly. [Would you two stop talking about my sex life?!] Pippin lets out a small whine in protest.

Taking the utensils from Usako, Balto lowers his ears while reading it. Glancing at Anna for a moment, he picks up the pencil and starts writing.

Reaching over, Anna places her hand on Pippin’s shoulder. [Pippi, Hun. We just want what’s best for you. Like it or not you had two choices since you had your first heat, either find a mate yourself, or risk having one forced on you by our, well, Angela now next time you’re in heat. You’re right about at the perfect age, if a bit older than that to have good strong offspring. I know personally I want our grand-cubs to be one you wanted and not ones ‘she’ wants. I’ll still love them regardless though.]

Brushing off her mother’s hand, Pippin shoots to her feet as she glares at Anna. Folding her ears back, she fights to stop the snarl from forming on her muzzle.

[I’ll be back later…] Hissing through her clenched teeth.

Stomping her way to the door, Pippin unintentionally slaps Usako across her muzzle with her tail. On her way out, Pippin slams the door with as much as the hinges and her strength allow her too. Shaking the cots a little.

Sneezing and shaking her head, Usako takes the offered pad and pencil from Balto.

{Yea, it does look pretty thick from here. You’re an Arctic Vulpine breed aren’t you?}

Picking up the pencil, Usako puts her reply just bellow Balto’s while stifling a yawn, then hands the old writing utensils to him. {No, just plain Arctic Fox, I’m not a Bio-Morph. Look, do you mind if I take a nap? ‘Angela’, worked Pippin and I pretty hard, I’m surprised she can still move around after all that.}

‘Feels like the adrenaline's wearing off. I’ve not been this tired since Basic…’ Handing the pad to Balto she doesn’t fight the next yawn.

Glancing down at the pad, he looks over at Usako and nods. ‘Kinda makes sense she’s tired, must be because of how small she is. Yet, her scent is that of a mature female.’ Taking a small step towards the back of the residential container to make room, Balto nods to one of the supports for the upper bunk.

A plain metal pole with pegs welded on it, Staggered from one side to the other making a cheap ladder. Slipping off of Charlie’s bunk, Usako stretches as soon as her foot-paws touch the bare metal floor.

Approaching the ladder, she climbs up, only to pause at eye level with Balto. Opening her mouth, she stops herself from saying ‘thank you’ and closes it.

‘Fucking collar…’ Mentally muttering to herself as she climbs onto the dented and extremely thin mattress. Finding a spot not flattened by years of junk sitting on it, she curls up and quickly dozes off.

–

About at the same time outside.

–

Grumbling, Pippin moves one of the park picnic tables a bit so it’s in the shade of the containers. Out of the blazing afternoon sun. Panting, she sits down, laying her head onto the table.

‘It’s not that I’m against having kids mom… it’s that, he had to go and get himself disowned and kicked off the farm. Then again, that was in response to giving me a taste of freedom… Something I’m wishing I had right now.’ Sighing, she watches the breeze blow by though the rattling of the chain link panels and the sway of the trees beyond it, until the direction changes.

Sniffing the air, Pippin’s ear twitches a few times. ‘The pack must’ve finished up early if I can smell Charlie this clearly.’

Drumming her claws on the sun bleached wood, she watches the dirt road past the beige metal barn. Sitting up only when she sees the pack walking into view. With the stripped down truck Steven, Mark and their father built slowly driving behind them.

Her ears pin themselves flat against her head the moment Angela comes into view driving it.

As usual, the vehicle sets the pace the pack has to move. The speed Angela’s setting though is faster than Steven normally does when leading the pack back here.

When the pack, led by Charlie, reaches the beige metal barn, Angela veers off to the side, guns the throttle and comes to a sliding stop next to the control panel for their enclosure. Angela ignores Pippin’s glaring daggers at her as she scans the common area of their pen.

Pulling out her phone and navigating to the ‘subdue all’ command, she sticks two fingers into her mouth and whistles loudly. Then throws the switches to open the gates.

“Alright all you, INSIDE!”

Looking back at Angela, Charlie then glares at his sister, ears flat back, before nodding to those around him to follow. ‘I will not give Angela the satisfaction of seeing me scared of a shock.’ He walks casually though the double gated entrance.

‘I can’t believe Pippi screwed the fuck up, Angela’s been PISSED since she came back from lunch. I gave her very clear instructions! Keep Usako from pissing Angela off further.’

The second Charlie passes the threshold into the pen, the rest of the pack either walks or runs to get inside.

Cupping her hands to her mouth, Angela yells. “Go on, get in there! Git! I don’t have all fucking day!”

‘Shut the fuck up Angela, they’re doing as you say… oh just fucking great.’ Noticing the traffic jam in the double gate, Charlie goes to help alleviate it as the back half of the pack try to rush in, so they don’t get shocked.

Once they’re inside, Angela slams the switches down, causing it to wobble on the pole before locking it shut. Hopping back into the modified truck. Peeling away, Angela leaves a large cloud of dust in her wake.

Folding his ears back, Charlie weaves through the crowd of Bio-Morphs as they all head for their containers to get out of the heat.

His destination’s Pippin though, who’s sitting at a bench in the shade, rather than inside the family residential container.

[So, sis, what part of ‘keep an eye on Usako and make sure she doesn’t piss Angela off further’ did you not understand?] Sitting down at the bench opposite of his sister, Charlie folds his ears back while staring at her.

‘Please tell me you didn’t just up and ignore it? I’d hate to have to punish you as the Pack Alpha-Male for disobeying an order, even though it was more of a brotherly request…’

Noting his ears, Pippin sighs as she pushes back at the instincts to bare her neck and submit to the pack’s Alpha Male for failing an order.

[There was little I could do!] Holding up her paw, Pippin ticks off the fingers as she speaks.

[First; I was tasked with pushing that damn grinding wheel, so I wasn’t exactly in a physical condition to do anything other than barely stand. Second; It’s not my fault Steven got taken to fulfill the duties of a citizen part way through the job. Third; Up till moments before Angela shocked Usako for both what she did to her earlier, and because Steven made her something called an admin. Angela acted like she had calmed down enough to be civil towards her.]

Charlie’s ears slowly go from folded back to drooping at each point, while his posture goes from aggressive to regretful.

‘Okay, those are pretty good reasons… Wait?!’

[Steven’s gone??!] His tail poofs, staring at his sister.

Lowering her ears, Pippin sighs. [Mom and Dad think he’s not coming back, but he has to right? We can’t just have Angela be our owner from now on. Not to mention Mark, he isn’t going to forget us even though he’s been gone for years. I’m sure he’ll eventually come back now that his parents are gone.]

Reaching over, Charlie gives Pippin a brotherly pat on the head. ‘I’m going to have to eventually break it to her that Mark died the other day too. Don’t understand what a starship is, but he was on one and then died.’

[Where’s Usako now?] Charlie pulls his hand back.

Raising her ears, Pippin looks over at their family residential container. [Inside with Mom and Dad.]

Letting out a sigh. ‘Alright, first order of business is to figure out where she’s going to be staying. We’re pretty tight on space… Maybe she can stay with one of the couples that have a pup or two? She’s about the size of the older ones.’

[And you’re out here in this heat because?]

[Why do you think Char-Char.] Pippin snorts loudly, before holding her arms under her bust. [Besides, it’s not ‘too’ bad out here in the shade with the winds the way they are today.]

Charlie lowers his head onto the table portion of the picnic bench with a light thud.

[Go find a guy to knock you up because we don’t want to see you get knocked-up by a guy our owners choose?]

His attempt at mimicking Anna’s tone of voice earns a small chuckle from Pippin. [I don’t know if that’s better or worse than her trying to set you up with any of the eligible females here.]

Raising his head, Charlie playfully huffs back at Pippin. [Thanks to you, I bet she’s already talked to Elsa’s parents to arrange a meeting between her and me.]

Pippin melms Charlie in return. [You’re welcome char-char. Frankly, you have a better chance at her even though with her looks she can have anyone here she wants.] Charlie only pins his ears back at this.

Sighing, Charlie rubs the bridge of his muzzle as the wind shifts, picking up speed. Rattling a few loose sections of the enclosure enough they both pause to take a look at it. [Then I don’t want her, as it tells me she’s only after the Alpha Female position rather than me as a good mate.]

Placing the side of her head on the table with an exhausted sigh, Pippin lets her arms lay in her lap. Charlie for his part, turns on his seat, laying down on the picnic table’s bench. Letting one of his arms dangle off the side, barely touching the dirt with his claws. [You look about as tired as I feel Pippi…]

[I’m not going to dignify that with a proper response Char-Char.] Pippin huffs, sending a few leaves off the table before they’re caught by the wind.

[Charlie… What are we going to do? Compared to Steven, Angela has always treated us poorly after, well, you know. For example, Steven would always have me stay here the day after he had me do what I did today.]

[What choice do we have Pippi? Steven may not return, and Mark isn’t going to return. Angela’s the only Mercer left that ‘owns’ us. If something happens to her, we’ll be taken and the pack will be separated. I think the best we can hope for is Angela may mellow out with time.] Yawning a bit, Charlie moves a hand under his head.

Sitting up straight, Pippin folds her ears back slightly while her tail lashes about. [You don’t know that. Mark may still come back!]

‘Sis… Please. Don’t tell me you’ve been pinning your hopes on him this whole time and that’s why she doesn’t look at the other guys her age? Shit, that’s going to make telling her the truth even harder.’

Reaching up and scratching an itch under his collar, Charlie closes his eyes. [I’m not betting on it Pippi. Anyway, what other option do we have than just wait out her tantrum?]

Slowing her tail, Pippin lets out an annoyed huff. [We can always escape. I mean, there has to be somewhere we can go where we can be free and not slaves?]

Charlie stops idly moving his claws through the dirt.

[How? First we need to get out of this cage, then what about these collars? They seem to somehow know exactly where we are and what we’re doing. It took, what, an hour? Two? For other humans to arrive and take Mark for a short while after he removed your collar? We won’t make it that far as a pack in that time, let alone just a few of us.]

Pippin’s head hits the table as she lets out a whine. [I’ll figure something out to get around that… It has got to be better than letting her have her way with us.]

Yawning again, Charlie grumbles. [Well, when you figure it out, wake me. Gonna take a nap out here, the shade keeps me just cool enough so the heat is actually relaxing rather than oppressive.]

Sighing, Pippin stands. [I’m going back inside where it’s marginally cooler to sleep, hopefully mom won’t bring up the subject again.] Then heads back towards the family residential container.

–

[Hey, wake up Usako.]

Yawning, Usako stretches, and sits up. The moment she opens her mouth to say she can’t understand what they said, the brown fur covered hand of Charlie gently closes it.

Grabbing onto Charlie’s wrist and forearm out of sheer muscle memory, Usako pauses as her brain fully wakes up. ‘Oh right, I speak, I get tasered by this collar, and he was trying to stop me.’

Letting go of Charlie’s wrist, she meets his gaze as he gives her a weak smile. ‘Damn, Usako has a strong grip for someone her size.’

Miming the action of eating something, he follows up by pointing towards the door of the residential container.

‘Time to eat? That’s right, Steven said they are fed from a different container at set times unlike earlier models where they could eat when they wanted too.’ Crawling her way over to the ladder, Usako climbs down before looking up at Charlie.

She points to the door and Charlie nods.

Leading the way, Charlie pushes open the door, letting warm and slightly muggy early twilight Texas summer night air into the container. The yard lighting that she saw the other night is on, and the door to the feeding container’s open.

Pinning her ears back at the noise, Usako observes as the pack forms a loose line where they each wait their turn to go into the container.

When one leaves the container, the next one goes in, only to come out like the one before carrying a plastic box similar to a pet-food single serve plastic packaging box, only larger. Along with some kind of bag that she realizes must be about a quart of water.

The only variation is when one of the kids enters, they just get a smaller version of each food item.

Smiling at Usako, Charlie points to the informal line. Nodding in response, Usako queues up with Charlie standing right behind her.

Reaching up to scratch an itch, he sighs. ‘I hope eventually Angela allows her to talk. This miming is already getting old. Not to mention that pad of paper of ours, is the only one in the encloser.’

Usako’s tail lightly sways. ‘This line’s moving faster than most grocery store checkout lanes I’ve been in…’ Usako twitches an ear as she gets used to the noise, allowing them to be raised up to their normal position. ‘I know all this noise is them talking, sigh, if I could go back in time I would tell my younger self to do that language elective. That way I would be able to tell what they’re saying.’

Once the Bio-Morph in front of her leaves, Usako steps into the container.

Bare stainless steel walls greet her, along with the chevron textured steel floor. The only seams visible on the metal are on the joints between floor and wall, and wall and ceiling. ‘The whole area looks like they took one large sheet of metal and folded it, then welded the box together and slapped it open end facing the door of the container.’

Stepping further inside, she looks at the back wall of the room. In front of her are camera’s and a slot with a mesh bin underneath.

A beep emanates from her collar, followed by a ding and a louder beep from somewhere deeper in the container. The slot opens with a ‘shink’ instantly after the beep, allowing the child sized food and liquid container’s to drop into the bin.

The moment the slot closes, a series of beeps from both the collar and the container play, slowly increasing in intensity, tempo and speed. ‘Okay I get it. Grab the shit and go. I don’t need to guess what happens if I stay too long.’

Dashing over to the bin, Usako grabs both objects, holding them to her chest, she hightails it out of the container.

The beeping stops the instant her feet touch dirt. Flicking her tail in annoyance, Usako lets out a sigh while looking down at her ‘food’. ‘I’m not a freaking animal, I could tell by the simple look of the place not to linger. No need for it to act like it’s going to shock me if I tried.’

Only to jump a little as Charlie reaches down and taps her on the shoulder.

Looking up at him, She sees Charlie holding his own meal in one arm while pointing to a picnic table far off to the side. Away from the main group of Bio-Morphs whom are sitting and eating.

Shrugging. ‘Good of a place as any.’ Usako follow him over.

Charlie places his food down and sits on the side of the picnic table facing away from the residential containers. Tilting his head, he watches Usako place her food on the bench, climb up onto the bench, then place the food onto the table before sitting on the table next to it.

Picking up the food container, Usako curiously looks it over, while ignoring Charlie’s gaze as one of his ears twitches. ‘She’s the size of one of the pack’s kids, yet is an adult and that still seems weird. It’s throwing me for a loop, I don’t know whether to protect her like the cub she looks kinda like, or treat her like an adult who has a respectable aura about her.’

Snorting once, Usako places the food container down, looks over at Charlie, and points to it. ‘I hate to admit it, but I don’t know how to open this.’

Her ears droop a little as Charlie chuckles a little from the comedic scene in his eyes.

Picking it up, he mentally slaps himself for behaving like that. ‘And I must’ve just hurt her feelings. She can’t speak and has no clue on how to open this and I just laughed at her.’

Holding it out so Usako can see the underside of the lip on the front of it. There’s a barely visible perforation in the plastic lip, folding it down the snap causes Usako’s ears and tail tip to twitch. Lifting the strip of plastic up, Charlie twists it, wrapping the flexible top around it, causing it to be peeled off. Just like a sardine can.

He places it in front of Usako before opening his much more quickly and using two of his fingers to dig in once the top’s off.

Looking down, the scent of what’s inside hits Usako’s nose, causing it to wrinkle a bit. ‘Okay, now I regret wanting him to open it.’ Looking up and seeing Charlie eat the same stuff that’s in his container, she visibly gulps.

‘This shit smells terrible, like pet lizard food… Yet it’s edible if Charlie is any indication. I just wish I had a fork. Yea… why give your ‘slaves’ a potential weapon…’ Picking it up, she winces at the consistency of what ‘isn’t’ solid inside it. ‘Or a spoon…’

Steeling her nerves, she sticks two fingers into it. ‘Oh karma it feels like jelly and chunks of stuff with the consistency of pasta.’

Lifting her two fingers, a portion of the ‘food’ comes with them. Gulping nervously, screwing her eyes shut, she stuffs them into her mouth.

Gagging, Usako fumbles and quickly opens the water bag to chase it out of he mouth. ‘Not so much the taste, but Karma the texture is terrible! It’s like… It reminds me of when I was a kit and I ate some snot of mine on a dare that a vixen can’t roll with the todds.’

Looking over at Charlie, he just returns her glance and shrugs while he finishes up his ‘food’ acting like he doesn’t mind the taste.

Picking up the water bag, Charlie brings it to his muzzle. ‘If I had the pad of paper and pencil here I would tell you to just eat it. It’s all the food you’re going to get. I know it tastes bad compared to human food, so it’s that or go hungry.’

Usako’s tail poofs as the loud clang of the feeding container’s door slamming shut echos through the yard. ‘Sigh, I guess it’s eat this shit or go hungry…’ Mentally grumbling a for a few moments before letting out a determined huff.

‘Okay, just like basic then, gotta power through the suck.’

Glaring daggers at the food, Usako picks it up she shovels it into her mouth, past the tip of her tongue. A semi-useful way of avoiding tasting it.

Upon reaching her limit, she pours the remaining water down her throat before slamming both onto the table next to her, sliding them forward a bit.

Reaching over to pick up the mostly empty food container and water bag, Charlie stuffs them together with his into a ball of trash before standing.

Rubbing her muzzle against her arm, Usako climbs down off the picnic table, following him into another loose line near the now closed feeding container.

Each of the Pack here carries his or her used containers, and stuffs them into a metal chute. The intake’s connected to the fence, with it sloping downwards and curving to the side into the rear of the feeding container.

With their hands free, they head for stacks of residential containers talking among themselves.

Charlie stuffs their trash into the chute. With his hands free, he gently takes Usako’s shoulder in one hand while nodding to the family’s residential container. Leaving the hand there, she follows im. Upon reaching it, Charlie lets go, then opens the door before motioning that she should enter first.

Usako’s ear twitches at this as she passes Charlie. ‘Guess the Bio-Morphs act like the humans. Still, kinda odd to be the one they hold the door for, not the one holding it. Then again, even back home we fox’s did it differently than many other mammals.’

Balto waves hello to her as Usako parts the thin curtain, entering the container proper. Returning the wave, she meekly smiles. Only for her nose to curl a bit at the scent of the empty food containers on the table in the back.

Charlie, following Usako in, closes the door behind himself. Watching and waiting for Usako to climb up the ladder to her temporary bunk. Then moves to sit down on his own once the way is clear.

[How did she take her first meal Char-Char?] Pippin sticks her head over the edge of her bunk.

Laying down on her bunk above Balto and Anna, Usako turns her head to watch Pippin. ‘I wouldn’t trust these things to hold me up if I was her size and did that.’ Lowering her ears a bit. ‘Still wish I could understand what she’s saying though. Considering how old their pad of paper looks, I doubt they have another one.’

Charlie snorts once. [Do you have to even guess Pippi?] Reaching for the pad and pencil, the lights in the container switch off the instant his hand touches them.

[So much for after dinner activities!] Charlie barks out of frustration. [Guess Angela changed that too.]

Blinking a bit at the sudden darkness, Usako can only hear Charlie toss the writing utensils against something hard.

[Look, I tried my best Char-Char, not like I could’ve done much anyway…] Pippin whines, causing Usako’s ear to focus on her.

Balto grumbles. [Just, get some rest you two. If this is any indication as to how things will be, we’ll have our ‘work’ cut out for us from now on.]

A short squeak from the bunk underneath Usako’s echo’s through the container. ‘Speaking of which, how can that one, support the weight of two of them?’ Reaching up, Usako stops one of her ears from twitching, letting go of it a moment or two later.

Curling up, Usako tries to find a comfortable position on the too thin of a mattress. ‘I think they may be mad at me. They didn’t sound too happy from what I could tell.’

Several minutes later, she mentally sighs, before rolling over. The only source of light in the residential container, a digital clock, attracts her gaze. ‘Too worked up to sleep, yet too tired to do anything even if there was more light in here.’

Only to roll her eyes at the soft snore coming from under her bunk. ‘They were just wide awake and talking a few minutes ago. How could they fall asleep so fast?’

Rolling back over she puts a hand-paw over her eyes while silently groaning. ‘Might as well just lay here and relax, just like the few other times I couldn’t sleep.’

–

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”

[What the fuck?] Bolting upright, Charlie looks over to the bunk above his parent’s. Parent’s whom have also been suddenly woken by Usako’s scream, his sister as well judging by the motion of her bunk.

Anna, gently shoves Balto aside, allowing her off the bunk and to stand. Her ears fold flat back from the sight that greets her.

Laying there, mouth agape and panting from the shock she just got as a wake up call, Usako glances over to Anna’s sympathetic face.

Before Anna can reach for her, Usako lets out another ear-piercing scream as the collar shocks her again. Followed shortly after by the ‘motivational-alarm’ in the residential container blaring, and every other one in the Bio-Morph enclosure, to going off shortly after.

Charlie and Pippin, grabbing their ears in pain, quickly navigate the nearly claustrophobic space out of the container. Balto follows a moment later, with his ears folded.

Only Anna stays inside, baring the painful noise, waiting till she knows it’s safe to touch Usako. Scooping her up in her arms like a child, cradling her in her arms, she’s last to leave the containers.

[Steven never used the alarm on that setting before!] Pippin whines as she watches the entire pack congregate as far from their containers as they can.

[No. We’re dealing with Angela, unconstrained by him.] Balto’s voice drips with enough venom that causes both Charlie and Pippin to wince, not to mention a few of the other pack members nearby.

Despite him being a retired Alpha Male.

Standing next to Balto, her ears flat back Anna has a snarl on her muzzle. [Damn near gave me a heart attack. Being so mean as to wake Usako up by activating her collar. For a moment I thought it was Pippin as a child screaming in pain.]

“WAKEY WAKEY EGGS AND BAKEY!” Screaming at the top of her lungs, Angela stands next to the bare frame truck. Charlie and most of the pack fold their ears back, though his attention’s drawn to the strange chair and shiny boxes on the bed of the vehicle, rather than staring at the unsettled looking Angela.

Walking up to the control panel for the enclosure’s double door, Angela grins. “Good my little wake up call worked ‘Usako’.” The venom metaphorically oozing from her mouth as she says her name.

Regaining enough control of herself that Anna’s able to let her stand on her own two feet, Usako stares daggers at Angela.

‘Something's up. She’s calling me by name and the long hair on her head’s ruffled and unkempt, unlike it was the other day.’

“Good, now you’re all awake. Not that any of you, other than ‘her’, can understand everything I say. I plan on getting at least this through to you animals, I’m your SOLE owner now!” Angela’s hand caresses the panel door.

“Unlike Mark, who was an idiot and thought all of you….” She points at all the Bio-Morphs present with her other hand, skipping over Usako, then dropping it to her side.

“Could think like people and did one of the dumbest things someone could. Take off one of your collars while your still being paid off. Which made mom and dad disown him. Mainly because he risked pissing off whom we bought you all from. Yet, I still LOVED him despite this!”

Usako’s tail bristles as Angela’s gaze falls upon her like a ton of bricks.

“And you fucking killed him. He was in the ship yours HIT!” Angela points at Usako. Her eyes go wide and tail limp behind her at those words.

‘I didn’t know what I hit… I hit a ship and killed Mammals, oh Karma…’

Pippin’s breath hitches, her gaze slowly turns to look at Usako.

“Yet that wasn’t enough for you, wasn’t it? Not only did you have to show up here, and somehow con your way into being administrator in the system, one I can’t get rid of. Your actions also will cause the death of my OTHER brother, Steven!”

Pippin’s ears flatten against her head before Charlie’s able to grab her shoulder, drawing her attention. [Calm down, I’m sure there’s more to this story.]

“Because of the year-long gap in the flow of resources from the colonies. Steven will most likely die in a frozen trench in Antarctica as the United States and China posture over worthless metals to fill in the gap!” Spinning around on her heel, Angela marches back to the truck only to start kicking the life out of one of the front wheels screaming pure anger and nonsense at it.

Glancing down to Usako. [Is it true?] Pippin lowers her voice, adding a bit of anger to it.

Tightening the grip on Pippin’s shoulder, Charlie adds an authoritative tone into his voice. [Pippi, I will NOT have you get angry like Angela is right now. We will talk about this later.]

Leaning against the truck for a moment to catch her breath, Angela stands and walks back over to the control box. “Fortunately for you, and extremely frustrating to me… Since you’re in the Bio-Morph system as ‘Trinity’…”

With one quick motion, Angela pulls out a revolver from under her shirt. The entire pack instantly takes step back with the kids relocated behind parents or behind quickly overturned picnic tables. She waves the lethal weapon about in their general direction rather carelessly.

“I can’t kill you, no matter how much I want to! All because you’re tied into the system now, and we STILL haven’t paid off the cost of buying the actual Bio-Morphs. Our loan holder will see the death via the monitoring system of your collar and come and investigate it.”

Lowering the firearm, Angela taps it against her thigh, showing a blatant disregard of trigger discipline as her finger rests upon it. “One of two possibilities would happen, they’d call me on the loan. Which this farm and ranch doesn’t have enough liquid capital to pay. Meaning I would have to sell most of it, lose my workforce, and be unable to pay the taxes using the rest.”

In a split second, she levels the revolver in the general direction of Usako, Charlie and the others.

“Or they find out you’re not a Bio-Morph by testing your remains. Then the fucking federal government turns this place into a fucking black-site while I get fraction of a penny to a dollar value of the land and a boot onto the nearest street for my trouble.”

Grinning madly, Angela’s gaze focuses on Charlie, Anna, Balto and Usako, then finally on Pippin. “Fortunately, there’s a simple solution to all of this.”

‘First step is to cement my authority over the current and former Alpha’s.’ Aiming the revolver generally at Pippin center of mass. The grin on Angela’s face vanishes as she opens the panel box and flips the switches opening the enclosure doors.

“Charlie, Balto. Grab Usako and HEEL.” With a thumb Angela cocks the hammer back on the firearm.