The Story Thus Far:

Nearly a month after the known world ended those who were lucky enough not to die during the cataclysm are trying very, very, very hard to survive. Alex and Lady Ursa took refuge in the lost city joining Archeologist Dawn Stern and Corbin Mongoose who were there studying that site. In time they were joined by other refugees including Corey Collins, Shakara Kubari and Rumble, a former lab experiment. As their resources and supplies dwindled they were forced to venture back into the outside world to search for what they needed to live. In doing so they are slowly finding out what has become of the former empire. 

Counter Earth Chronicles - Fallen Empire
Chapter 15: Move For Me (World Tour Part II)

Day 26 (1:16 PM World Four)

“OMG!" Corbin gasped.

“THIS CAN'T BE! I mean I had friends here!" Lady Keiko! Cinder, The Frosts!" I screamed.

“We should have gotten here sooner." The little mongoose boy added.

“And what would that have done?" Shakara asked indignantly.

“SOMETHING, ANYTHING!" I shouted at the she beast.

The scene was right out of some post apocalyptic movie from the hub. Corbin, Shakara and I saw buildings toppled over, leaning on one another, sheared in half, split, and crumbled and that was what was visible through the snow."

“Overwatch pull up a map of the city. Overlay our current position."

*As you wish Mr. Winter.*

“Shakara I need to you fly to this address." I ordered the dark tan lioness.

She altered course and we took a detour toward the northwest of the city. We flew over more collapsed buildings and crumpled infrastructure until we got to the remains of a residential neighborhood. Rubble covered by snow and then there were the sinkholes in the ground. Very large, very deep sinkholes.

“Here we are." My devious person said.

“610 Center Way?" I said.

“Yes." She said quietly.

“Let's see." The little mongoose said. “According to the map, that would be that sinkhole on the right."

“Oh no!!!" I shouted shaking my head.

“Who lived here big brother?"

“Cinder!!"

“Who is Cinder?" Shakara asked.

“A colleague of Alex from the Consortium For Mutual Coexistence. He was a bit younger than me and very smart. He was a researcher for the group."

“He never left his room. He called it his nerve center. His cousin Ember, saved my life once." I said shaking my head.

*I doubt that there could have been anything that you or anyone could have done Mr. Winter; this occurred while World Five was destroyed or maybe shortly afterwards.*

“That tears it. World Five was destroyed by flooding. World Four by Counter Earthquake. World Three by volcanoes and World One by fire. There is a bigger narrative here that we are missing." I said to my companions.

“Like someone or something is erasing the slate and is starting over?" Shakara said to me.

(That theory of hers was very, very disturbing.)

“What do you think happened to World Two?" Corbin interjected.

“I am scared to know Corbin." I said hugging him.

“Overwatch can you overlay what we are seeing with the map? It is quite hard to navigate without any land marks."

*As you wish Ms. Kubari.*

“I think I have the location of The Madam's next hideout." The lioness said.

“Delay that." I said to her. 

“Why?" 

“Head to Castle Sogreth."

“Another deviation cutie?" My devious person said to me.

“We are going to look for survivors." I said to my companions.

“But big brother it has been twenty six days since this happened." Corbin said looking at me. “The odds that anyone is still alive under this are... are..."

“I don't care, we need to check anyway." I said staring at the dark tan lioness.

“Right. Changing course."

Overwatch took some quick scans to see if there were any signs of life in our immediate surroundings. There weren't.

Shakara flew the prototype over the devastated snow covered city and past the section where Lady Keiko and I battled Ben Mastiff and the black prototype several months back.

Thinking back that traitor of a knight somehow saw this was coming and was trying to prepare for it. But how did he know? Was he really reading the signs like he said?

“Alex we are here." Shakara announced. 

“Whoa!!!" The little mongoose gasped. “The tower and four spires they are gone!"

“They toppled over in the quake." I said looking at the large columns that were covered by snow. “But what was above ground was only a portion of the castle. There was a lot underground. I think we should check it out."

“But where was the entrance underneath all that?" Shakara asked.

“Let's land first then try to find an entrance underground." Corbin said.

“That is going to be interesting too. Where in all this snow?"

*Perhaps I can be of some assistance Mr. Winter.*

“You still have a visual record of castle Sogreth and the grounds?" I asked the automated assistant.

*Only the grounds Mr. Winter.*

“Right. The prototype was never inside of the castle." I said still trying to make sense of the what we were seeing.

*Ms. Kubari, ten degrees to your right.*

“That big mound of snow?"

*That actually was one of the launch bays.*

“Then we better clear our landing pad." The little mongoose said.

*click*

*Side-pods engaged*

*Flame thrower engaged*

“Easy Corbin just enough to melt the snow so we can land we don't want to scorch the place." I warned my little brother.

“Kay!" He said expertly adjusting the targeting like a pro.

“Sharkara set us down."

*thunk*

“So we are on the launch pad. Any clue how to get inside?" She said to me.

We ended up using the laser system to cut our way inside the castle."

“So eerie." The dark tan lioness said. “And dark."

The underground portion of the castle looked quite similar to the above ground in that it was a mess items thrown this way and that, support columns toppled, the marble floor cracked, door frames misaligned and there was a section where the ceiling had collapsed. 

“Should we get out and start searching?" Shakara said.

“Affirmative."

“Can I come?!" The little mongoose boy asked.

“No Corbin, it looks very unstable and if something collapses..."

“There won't be enough pieces of us left to put back together." The she beast commented.

“Aw, but I wanna come too!" The little boy protested.

“No, Corbin stay with Overwatch. But if you hear us scream...."

“And how is he going to do that?" Shakara asked. 

“Maybe there is a way." I said staring at the the little mongoose.

“Right! Great idea." He said enthusiastically.

*Surveillance probe engaged.*

“Anything?" I said to the little mongoose.

“I can't tell, the probe can't scan beyond the walls in the room below."

“Meaning adorably cute?" Shakara asked.

“We don't know what is down there- survivors, monsters, Others."

“Niiice." She said to me.

“You are welcome to stay in the prototype. But I am going in." I said to her.

“You know that is extremely foolish right?" She said looking back at me.

“No more misery or suffering." I said starting toward the direction of Ben Mastiff's office.

“Fine, I am coming with you." She said.

“Launching the probe." Corbin announced. “It will be your source of illumination. And it will also allow me to keep an eye on you." The mongoose boy said excitedly.

So we followed the probe below ground into castle and into Ben Mastiff's former office which was a mess- shelving had fallen onto the desk which was split in half, chairs were thrown everywhere.

As we made entry, the dark tan lioness went nuts ransacking the place- combing through drawers, cabinets for anything that was salvageable, clothing, food, and tech that survived the EMP. I just watched the tall agile feline move.

“What?" She said turning to me. “It is not like anyone else is ever going to need it again!"

After checking Ben's office we went down the corridor surveying the debris and level of destruction checking each room no matter how small or insignificant. Our searching didn't find any survivors or bodies for that matter.

“It looks like everyone got out." Shakara said placing her paw on my shoulder. “Which is a good thing because it is freezing down here."

“Perhaps they got out or were in the spires of the castle my lioness. Regardless, don't let down your guard we could be attacked or ambushed at any second."

We left the ground floor and started checking out the floors below one by one. Led by the light of the probe we started checking sub basement one, sub basement two, sub basement three. That was when we noticed something odd- unlike the ground floor above, they were spotless. Not a molecule of dirt, grim or debris.

“How far down does this go?" The lion lady asked. 

“I don't know. I have never been this far down." I said as we walked by a door with Animalian writing on it. “Wait a minute. This is Master Kola's."

“I was hoping that it was the cafeteria little cutie."

“Nope, that was above ground in the central tower. This is definitely Master Kola's- I think it is his lab. I said to the red eyed female. 

“You can read Animalian?"

“Yeah, I learned a while ago. Corbin, Shakara let's go in." I said to the probe and the lioness.

It was a struggle to get the door open but we did so anyway. Once inside we marveled at the interior- an entirely black room the ceiling, wall and floor painted with stars and galaxies.

“I guess Master Koala really loved space." I quipped as the dark tan lioness started ransacking the lab. I on the other hand was attracted to a pedestal at the corner of the room it was large enough to hold a vehicle like a black prototype. “Any thing Shakara?"

“Beakers, vials and fried pads. You?"

“I think this was definitely his lab. This looks like where he constructed Attack Beast."

“Attack what now?"

“That was castle Sogreth's own prototype a black utility vehicle full of nasty weaponry. I was here for the unveiling and its theft by a knight of Sogreth who had gone rouge. I assisted their commander in taking it down- barely."

“Was it a tough battle?" The dark tan lioness asked me.

I nodded. “Down to the wire. After its destruction, I heard that master Koala was going to build another one. If he did and it survived the collapse that would be a very good asset to have."

“Corbin I hope you are recording this." Shakara ordered. “He can you hear us through this right?"

The spherical object bobbed up and down to the female beastial's statement.

“He can hear us, we just can't hear him, there is no talk back mechanism." I said as the probe started to wobble. I managed to catch it as it started to drop to the floor. 

“It looks like we are at its maximum range." My devious person said.

“Right, I will carry it."

We walked down yet another stairwell which ended at a room a floor below our level. 

“So mission leader what do we do if we find survivors?

“Hmm?" I said holding the probe.

“How do we help them? It is not like we could take them back to the Lost City; the coupe is only a two seater."

“I suppose we will have to deal with that situation when we come across it." I said to her as we exited the stairwell.

I soon recognized where we were. The stench of death was persistent as we entered a hallway with holding cells to the left and right. They were in a U shaped configuration like those in castle Wundagore five cells to each group- twenty total and all occupied. 

Shakara gasped as we entered. “Revelers, dissidents, rebels and the condemned. These poor souls were here the day of the fall." She said.

“They were probably trapped when the EMP hit, the air system failed and from the looks of it there wasn't a manual overide." I carried the probe in front of each cell so that Corbin could record the prisoners who had perished within. Most of the cells were occupied by humans of all ages- male, female, adult, child. Some contained a few beastials as well, we saw a maned wolf holding his neck looking up at the ceiling, a weird looking avian in another as well and then there was the last cell in the cluster of twenty it had a black oily looking humanoid figure that reminded me of the ghost lady I had seen in Stephen Cheetah's basement during that case with the Ghost Hunters a few years back.

“What is that?" Shakara said looking at it. “And why is it that it is the only thing standing?"

“Can't be sure- it doesn't have legs- it looks more like a oily black sheet. Anyway I am glad it is on the opposite side of the glass from us."

The oily black humanoid thingie easily stood out because it was the only thing standing; the other prisoners were lying on the floors of their cells deceased.

“I.... I.... I... NEED..."

“It spoke!" I shouted.

“What do you need tall black and oily?" The lioness said. 

That simple question turned our supposed rescue/salvage mission sideways.

“I NEED A SACRIFICE!!!!"

!!!

*whoosh*

“Alex!" I heard Shakara shout.

I turned around in time to see that the oil creature had somehow escaped the holding cell it had been in and was standing in between Shakara and myself.

“Now, now easy." I said holding the probe up between me and the black creature. “Why do you need a sacrifice?"

“I MUST FEED!!!!" It hissed and burbled lunging at me.

I ducked and rolled toward the entrance to the stairwell. 

“What about all that in the cells?" The lioness said backing up. “Why don't you feed on that?!"

“SHAKARA!!!" I shouted at her.

“Well...." She stuttered.

“I WANT FRESH MEAT!!!!"

“Huh?" The female healer said.

“It desires the living kind not month old rotting corpses! I think we overstayed our welcome!" I said pushing my lioness into the stairwell.

“What was that thing?" She gasped.

“I don't know, but I also don't want to stay and find out!" I shouted.

We ran up the stairwell four floors above the holding cell area before we stopped and caught our breath. We had re-entered the range of the prototype's control over the probe and it started moving independently on its own. A good thing. I let it go and turned my attention back toward the dark tan lioness whose red eyes went wide and jaw dropped with fright. I turned around to see what looked like all the shadows of the room coalescing from its corners into the center right in front of us forming something... the oily creature again.

“I HUNGER!!!!"

“Corbin!!" I yelled at the probe. The little mongoose switched the light on to full intensity erasing all the shadows in our vicinity. “Come on!" I said grabbing the lioness by the paw and running up the remaining flight of steps back to the prototype. The probe followed us as well.

When we arrived at the blue coupe I dove back into the driver seat. Shakara into the passenger seat.

“Quick thinking Corbin!" I shouted as the lioness picked up the mongoose boy and placed him on her lap nearly damaging the co-pilot keyboard and monitor.

“Your lap... it is wet! Eww!!!" Corbin exclaimed.

“The creature..." Shakara stuttered.

“Overwatch get us out of here! Now!" I shouted.

*Engaging hover-mode Mr. Winter.*

“Docking the probe." Corbin announced typing from the the scared she beast's wet lap.

We managed to take off just in time as the creature appeared at our landing site- it watched us as we made a hastily retreat.

“What was that thing?" The lioness dry heaved.

“Scary." The little mongoose said. “I saw it all."

“It was much worse in person." I quipped. “Whatever it is, it took over what is left of castle Sogreth."

*It would appear that it is another monster roaming around since the fall. Perhaps a lab creature that was housed there in the castle but now has free reign?*

“That might explain why the sub levels were immaculate it was cleaning up the debris from the quakes." I said collecting my thoughts.

“You mean it is a neat freak?!" The lion lady said.

“Also you noticed that there weren't any Others down there either?" The little mongoose observed.

“I am just glad to be away from that damn thing." Shakara added. 

“So what has it been eating before we got here?" I said staring at my companions.

“Big brother we have a mission to resume and our lioness needs to find something dry to wear; she wet her overalls." The little beastial announced. 

“Watch it adorably cute." She growled. “If you had seen what we had seen, you would have wet yourself too. A lot."

“So where is this next hideout?" I asked.

“Overwatch the overlay again please." The dark tan lioness said.

The she beast studied the overlay and what the city looked like now.

“There. Take us to this location Overwatch."

*As you wish Ms. Kubari.*

It turned out the Madam's next location was in the World Four Space Museum not far from the remains of castle Sogreth.

“That's right it was here." Shakara said.

“Here?!" The little mongoose boy said looking at the remains of a upside down black trapezoidal shaped marble building that had been all but destroyed by the Counter Earthquakes.

“Something wrong adorably cute?"

“Yeah this place, my family was massacred by rebels the last time I was here." Corbin said wistfully. “I was taken to their lair and tortured."

“I see you and The Madam had a thing for museums why is that?" I asked the lioness who had wet her overalls.

I just received a smirk from the she beast for my troubles.

“Adorably cute, you can stay and run tactical if you want."

“No I, need to do this. To go back." Corbin said as we landed.

“I guess that leaves me on tactical." I said as the two left the passenger seat and started to make their way into the damaged structure.

*Surveillance probe engaged.*

I looked at the information I received from the surrounding area in the upper left monitor from the center stack.

“I don't see anything in the immediate area. You are clear. Get in, get out. You have ten minutes." I announced.

“Right." The two beastials said making their way into what was left of the museum.

And so I waited and ran tactical five minutes, ten minutes and then fifteen.

“This would be so much easier if I had a way to communicate with them."

*You could have sent the probe with them Mr. Winter.*

“Yes, I could have monitored their progress, but then I wouldn't be able to scan the surrounding area for threats Overwatch." I said studying the monitor intently.

*That is a limitation of the surveillance equipment.*

“The hell?"

*Something wrong Mr. Winter?*

“That blip on the screen, I didn't notice it there before! Corbin and Shakara, they aren't alone!"

*Should we attempt a rescue?*

“The prototype isn't going to get inside the museum without blasting its way in. If it does we could collapse the building on our friends. Keep watch out here." I said exiting the blue coupe. I ran to the trunk and grabbed a glow stick before running inside.

(This is just great running into danger without anything to defend myself.) 

I thought as I made my way inside through a fractured wall into the museum's interior. The World Four Space Museum consisted of four floors punctuated by a large dome that encase the top floor- it looked like it was groaning and bowing under the snow that was on top of it which was obviously straining its tolerances.

I found myself inside on a marble floored hallway with large pillars holding up the ceiling above me. Most of them were cracked, shattered and damaged. Many of them had toppled over in the quake. The only light visible was from where the exterior of the building had opened to the outside world. 

And so quietly and carefully I started searching for my companions. I had hoped to find them before whatever that blip on the scanner was did. Damn this would be so much easier if I could contact them directly.

I made my way through the wreckage, the galleries, the broken and battered exhibits. It was a crying shame that I had never seen this museum before the fall. That is right, I was helping the knight core try to prevent it. But still...

To my right were the remains of a hover vehicle exhibit. From the looks of it, it contained the first hover vehicles ever created. To the left was another one for utility vehicles. Up ahead was another for interstellar spacecraft- what? No way! 

(This exhibit must have been created right around the time the empire admitted to the extraterrestrial phenomenon.) 

I walked by what was left looking at the replicas (I think that they were replicas) of spacecraft of various shapes and designs. Next to a diamond shaped craft was a tired looking satyr brown fur, horns, hooves, blond hair and a torn and tattered uniform.

“NO!! NO!!! IT'S ALL GONE! THERE IS NOTHING LEFT!!" The satyr belated.

He scared the crap out of me. I must have jumped back several spaces falling back on my behind dropping my glow-stick.

(Why didn't I sense him?!)

That was when I realized that he looked familiar. 

(Hmm... It was the knight Sanda and I met during our visit to World Four!)

“Junior knight Chucky?! What are you doing here?"

“IT IS ALL GONE!! THE CASTLE!! THE EMPIRE!!! THERE IS NOTHING LEFT BUT RUIN!!!

“Chucky?" I said again.

“WHO'S THERE? ARE YOU ONE OF THE POSSESSED?!" He said looking around.

“Easy, easy." I said standing up and raising my hands. “I am not one of the possessed."

“HOW CAN I BE SURE THAT YOU HAVEN'T COME FOR ME?!!!"

“Chucky, it is Alex Winter. I met you a few months ago while on patrol with Ben Mastiff." I said in a calm voice.

“THAT TREACHEROUS PIECE OF FILTH?! HE WAS RIGHT!! I CAN'T BELIEVE HE WAS RIGHT!! HOW DID HE KNOW? HOW DID HE KNOW?!!"

“I don't know but he did. Say aren't you cold? You know it is winter right now."

“NOTHING MATTERS! THE WORLD HAS CHANGED! NO ORDER! NO PEACE!!"

“Um, right. I am going to find my friends. You are welcome to come along."

“NO ORDER!! NO PEACE!!" Chucky said following me. I soon found what I thought was Shakara's and Corbin's paw prints.

“So Junior Knight Chucky what happened here?" I said as the satyr continued to follow me.

'THE APOCALYPSE!!! THE GIANT CLOUD!! VEHICLES FALLING FROM THE SKY!! COUNTER EARTHQUAKES!! THE CITY CRUMBLING!! THE SCREAMS OF THE HELPLESS, THE DOOMED!!! I TRIED TO HELP, BUT MOST WERE SUCKED INTO THE SKY!!"

“Were you?" I asked.

“I WAS STOPPED BY DEBRIS THAT LANDED ON ME AND MY FELLOW KNIGHTS!! WHEN I CAME TO, WE WERE BEING RESCUED BY CHANTERS. THOSE SAYING THAT THE ONE HAD COME. THEY TOUCHED MY FELLOW KNIGHTS THEIR FACES CONTORTED, THEIR FUR BRISTLED AND THEN THEY BEGAN CHANTING. I RAN AWAY BEFORE I WAS POSSESSED!!"

“Chucky, where are the possessed?"

“EVERYWHERE!!!" The satyr said crazed. “THEY ARE TAKING OVER!!"

“Shakara!! Corbin!!" I called out. Stealth no longer mattered. If there was anything else in the museum with us, Chucky's shouting would have alerted them.

“Alex!" The little mongoose boy said caring a container. “Why are you here?"

“Because the two of you are late." I responded.

“Who is that with you?" My lioness said. I noticed that she was also carrying a container and that she had replaced her overalls with comfortable clothing and a jacket with boots.

“This is Chucky a junior knight of Sogreth well, a former junior knight."

“So you found a survivor." She said to me.

“Is something wrong with him big brother?"

“He was here the day of the fall and the aftermath." I said to my companions.

“It took its toll on him, he is a basket short of a bushel." Shakara said.

“ALL GONE!! THE EMPIRE IS ALL GONE!! NOTHING LEFT BUT RUIN!! RUIN!!"

We all looked at each other then back at the sanity challenged satyr.

“Well nice to meet you Chucky." Corbin said to him politely. “Sorry you had to experience that."

“Nothing to say Shakara?" I said to my devious person.

I looked at the she beast who had a registered look of terror on her face as she started shaking badly.

“Something wrong?" 

She tried to say something but only pointed. She was trying very hard not wet clothing again.

“What the hell?!" I said turning to look at where she was pointing.

!!!

Our friend from the castle had returned.

“I HUNGER!!!!" The oil blackened humanoid thing shouted.

(Oh shit.)

Alex Winter January 26 YOE 34....