Counter Earth Chronicles - Fallen Empire

Chapter 61: I Who Have Nothing (Conclusion)

Day N/A (Late evening. The wilderness near World Three)

“And when I accomplish this task?" The mole asked.

This fledgling colony will be added to our collective. The synoptic said through Demona, the quoll who name was Guana, and myself.

“So the population of Others here will increase from its abysmally small number?" Mr. Day asked.

Guana, Demona and I stared at the mole.

“I know much of the populace died when the 'cleansing' occurred. A slight miscalculation on your behalf perhaps? You know, by burning and melting most of all who were here you also killed off potential followers as well." The mole said in a judgmental tone. “Yes, I know about that too."

You make it your business to know such things mole? The entity asked its operative.

“Yes." Mr. Day responded. “If I am successful you and your kind will leave me be?" 

Yes. However, you should know what will happen to you if we are disappointed in your performance?

I knew what that statement meant as ONE delivered it through me, Demona and Guana.

“Message received." The mole said as we proceeded westward eventually arriving at a large hill in literally the middle of nowhere just as dusk was setting in.

There was a small entrance at its side that Demona, Guana and I entered. As we did, I realized why the hill looked so out of place given the surrounding area.

(Whoa!)

“It is a spacecraft disguised as a hill." The mole said peeking inside. “And an old one!"

Mr. Day just received eerie stares from the minions that were standing about inside- about 30 in all. 

“Right. Rest assured I will keep your secret base... a secret." The mole said disappearing into the night on his mission to infiltrate Naka's colony.

Master we have fulfilled your orders may we be released from our servitude? The female quoll asked removing the hood of the brown robe she had been wearing.

Underneath was a slim female marsupial with black beady eyes, a pink nose and grey fur with white spots.

You wish to go home? The synoptic asked.

Yes master. Can that be our reward?

There is nothing for you to go home to little quoll. The entity said through all who were present. Return to your pod. You reward awaits you there.

Yes my master. The possessed beastial said walking away. Not halfway down the corridor the synoptic rewarded its reluctant minion as we heard Guana moaning. Very loud orgasmic moans.

(No freedom but pleasurable pleasure. It was good when the master was pleased.)

It turned out that Mr. Day was incorrect, the spacecraft WAS the entire hill. Its interior was metallic with chairs, tables and workstations all about. Panels and displays everywhere none of which worked.

You are surprised. Demona said placing her paw on my shoulder.

“I had no idea this was here. But you did." I said to her.

The mole was right. The female monster said.

She didn't say about what though. Was this the synoptic's secret base of operations in World Three or how it arrived on Counter Earth? Or was it both? I wanted to explore the spacecraft- badly. Was there usable technology in here? Exactly how big was this sky-ship?

Little slave.

“Yes master?"

You are fascinated by this structure?

“This spacecraft is wondrous. Please may I explore it?" I asked ONE.

No.

“Master I did successfully complete the mission." I protested.

Only after being captured by that which you were observing.

“I have a history of that happening. It wouldn't be the first, it won't be the last." I said trying to spin it in a better light." The synoptic wasn't having it.

Harpy you disobeyed our orders and endangered your companions and during your assignment. You are to be punished.

Yes master. 

I watched as the she monster walked down the same corridor Guana had moments earlier, only making a left turn toward an adjacent hallway; the master was directing her to her punishment.

It was around that time that the being assumed control of my body again. I walked down the same corridor then turned right into a darker corridor arriving at what must have been an storage bay. There I found a elevated platform. Several minions were on it including the female quoll who was now naked, a vicuña and many miniature horses. I looked at each as I promptly joined them on the platform. None of them were Russell, but they looked familiar....

“Master?" I called out to the synoptic.

(Not again!)

I was promptly 'powered' down- my reward for letting Demona compromise the mission I guess. As I became in-animated, I did somehow managed to grab the female quoll's paw with my hand. I guess I didn't want to be powered down alone.

Ok. So my master wasn't exactly thrilled about my performance but at least I didn't fail the mission.

Why have you touched us? The quoll said her image appearing before my box- cage.

“We are ONE are we not?" I countered.

She nodded.

“Good. You looked like you were lonely so I decided to reach out to you. I also need your help reaching out to some friends of mine." I said smiling.

You can't do that by yourself? No you can't, not without our help. Guana said reading my thoughts.

“Mr. Winter is on the phone!" I said shushing my connection to the entity's minions in the between. 

Sorry.

(Hmm... some beast is shy and insecure. I will remember that.)

We are not! We just want to be away from here!

(I sympathize.)

I tried reaching out to those that I knew had become one with ONE forcibly or of their own free will. I heard screaming and screeching when I reached Demona before the connection dropped. I surmised she was having a bad evening. My efforts weren't entirely fruitless though, I did receive a single hit.

Well as we live and breathe Alex Winter! A male buffalo calf said appearing before me and the quoll.

“Bess!"

After all that time apart from my consortium colleague I was having trouble figuring what to say; you know, putting my feelings, my emotions into coherent words and sentences.

“Um, so how are you doing?"

We are not in a cage. He said observing my surroundings.

“Well it used to be a darken room- but I made some modifications." I said opening the cage door and stepping out to greet him as the quoll watched in amazement. “So how is Tess?"

Alex we are Others. He said stoically. There was a tinge of sadness in his voice.

“I am too." I said as there was a very pregnant pause between us. “So how is your mother?"

She is with our father now. 

“I am so sorry Bess."

Lady Ursa? He asked me.

“I haven't seen her in a long time. I don't know." I responded.

What about Corbin?

“He is having a tough time, his adoptive mother disappeared some months ago and no one knows her whereabouts."

Was she murdered?

“I don't know; it is a mystery. Say have you seen Dongo and Doria?"

No. We don't know what happened to them. The buffalo calf said.

“I warned Dongo the day of the fall. I hope he and Doria escaped." I said to my friend.

What about Ember and Cinder?

“Alive, but they are prisoners of the KLIS from what I heard." I said.

Neal and Niko? Bess asked me.

“Niko is dead she was devoured by monsters. Neal I have not seen or heard from either, I think he perished when World Three fell." I responded as there was another pregnant pause between us. “So where are you right now?"

World One or what is left of it. We are part of the grand effort as the master says.

“Bess you sound unhappy." I said observing.

We are only tools being used for some master plan.

“What about the rewards the master gives its loyal followers?"

Not the rewards we would choose Alex. Bess said to me.

So what you are saying is that if you could leave you would? The female quoll asked.

There was the awkward silence now between the three of us.

“So you are aiding ONE with the construction of the crystal cities to replace the former cities of the empire." I asked the buffalo calf.

Yes.

“The plan called for the elimination of the dictator and most of the populace for it to come to fruition."

But it has been slow. Bess said reading my mind.

“The master has had some setbacks." I volunteered. “Staffing issues in some cities, and down right resistance in others."

Hence the constant recruitment drive.

And another pregnant pause as Bess digested what I had told him.

“So how were you and Tess awakened?" I asked the boy bison finally.

When chaos befell the city we were caught up in it. The buffalo calf said to me. 

“Let me guess you were in school when the giant cloud attacked the city and the sky fell."

When the city started burning, we ran out of our classrooms in a panic. Several teachers were instructing us to take cover. Most were in shock. Yet another was leading students to the basement of the school- to some fire proof shelter. He lead each student by the paw one by one. We took his paws as we were lead away. We felt extremely odd the moment we touched him.

“Wow before you knew it the entity had claimed you. Quite sinister." I surmised.

We heard a voice tell us not be afraid because our new master was here. We have relieved you from the confines of your limited existence. Together we will do more, be more than you could have ever possibly imagined. That was when our fur bristled and our sister and we felt waves upon waves of indescribable pleasure.

Want more? The voice asked. Then bring more to us until we are all ONE.

“That was when you started to help your fellow students to the fire proof shelter as well." I concluded.

Yes. Our master realized that before the fall we along with our sister were trying to help the helpless, empower the powerless, and bring hope to hopeless. It decided that we should continue do so by working for it instead.

“So instead of changing hearts and minds about the empire you are changing hearts and minds about the synoptic." I said amazed.

And have been doing so ever since. It is not in the way we want or prefer and then we see all the faces of those we have awakened. 

“You mean the shimmer? I have experienced it too." I admitted.

What about you Alex?

“No my awakening happened three months later." I said to the boy bison.

During a raiding mission.

“Yes through my own stupidity I got captured and was turned by two orc sisters."

We see despite being forced your awakening was very nice and very pleasurable. The quoll said reading my mind. Oh yes... it was at least thirty orgasms, maybe forty after bringing the attractive Shen and Britta theirs. Our awakening was not as much fun.

Yes. You had fled the city during its destruction and were searching for food and water when you came upon this large hill with a small door. Bess said reading the quoll's mind. 

It was not a hill. Guana said correcting the boy bison.

“Yeah a spaceship and old one." I said jumping in.

It wasn't that either but a space station. A segment of one that had crashed here long, long, long ago. We approached the door. It opened, we were greeted by miniature horses and pony like creatures whom we thought were fellow refugees and survivors. The quoll said.

But they weren't, they were the occupants of the space station. Bess said.

Yes they welcomed us, we were given food and drink our last meal before we were turned.

(What the fuck?!)

The magnitude of what Guana said hit me like a ton of bricks. Was this how ONE arrived on this world- via the space station it had taken from that race of miniature horse like aliens?! Profound!!

“Bess, Guana let me share something with you." I started to say as the boy bison gasped. Then the girl quoll gasped. “Something wrong?"

There has been an incident. The two said in unison.

“Where?!" I asked.

World Four. 

My conversation with Bess and Guana was abruptly ended just when I was going to share the story of ONE's first colony; I was 'powered on.' As I was re-animated, I looked at the Others who were still on the platform with me. The naked female quoll, the little horses to my side and behind me were still offline.

I walked out of the storage room and down the dark corridor looking left and right. This was indeed the space station from the story Demona had shared with me. 

(But how did it wind up on Counter Earth? Well a portion of it anyway?)

As I was thinking that, I bumped into Demona.

Little man.

“Demona?" I said looking up at the she monster and then the rest of her. “Your plumage, it is smoking!" I said examining her wings and tail feathers.

Our punishment for disobeying our master. We have begged for its forgiveness. It was granted provided we will never display such impertinence again. 

Demona looked like she had been roughed up from the inside out. Not as bad as when the entity punished me, but still so.

We are being recalled back to World Four.

“There has been an incident?" I said to her.

Yes. We are to leave at once.

I followed her back to the entrance of the space station. It was early morning as we walked outside. I quickly hugged Demona's leg as she took off skyward.

“I recommend we be as quiet as possible in case there is anything else out here with us." I whispered. Despite the warm days, the night air was still rather cool.

When we reached a safe altitude I let the questions, well fly. “So do we know what the incident was?" I asked my companion.

The master was not forthcoming.

“Master?" I called out.

Little slave?

“Why are we being recalled?"

We have lost contact with a entire segment of builders.

“Isn't there somebody closer? We are still 90 minutes out." I stated.

We will send the pangolin and the she dingo to investigate.

“No master we will see to this." I said back peddling.

We arrived a little after 6 in the morning. ONE directed us to a Hall of Files building five blocks away from our secret base of operations.

We are here. Demona announced.

“Well, let's investigate- carefully." I said letting go of her leg.

The building looked like it was a large cylinder with a marble dome which had many cracks within probably from the seismic activity. The floors of the building were also marble with a lot of dust. There were many foot and paw prints leading into the building but none coming out.

The master says that the segment was working inside. The harpy said to me.

We decided to follow the prints around the corner and down the hallway into an small atrium where... 

(NO!)

We found where the prints ended, human feet, beasital paws along with severed arms and legs lying around on the floor. Demona looked at each.

They had marks on them like they were chewed or bitten off.

As ghastly as it was, I looked at each as well. I also noticed a black oily substance on the majority of them. Upon closer examination it was on the floor as well.

(Oh crap!)

Little man? The she monster said reading my thoughts.

“Demona this was an attack!"

I grabbed her paw and led her from the atrium and out of the building and back into the street.

You think that was the oil creature you encountered in castle Sogreth and the museum? She said to me.

“Pretty sure it was, that thing claimed the castle and its territory and said that I was intruding. But why did it attack our fellow minions?"

You weren't by yourself when you encountered it... the mongoose boy we saw at the assembly and the lioness with the big breasts were there. It nearly killed all three of you!

“Crap we need to leave!" I shouted as I figured out what had happened.

After it had completed most of the renovation of the secret base, ONE decided to enact its plans by spreading outward. The next stop was the Hall of Records right inside that creature's territory and ten Others were sacrificed because of the entity's miscalculation. Another segment here in World Four gone just like that with nobody to mourn over their demise.

Upon our arrival at the fallen office building we discovered oil markings leading inside! The oil monster had entered our base of operations! Inside there were oil markings everywhere!

!!!

As I entered the courtyard I looked up at one of the upper floors to see the creature staring down at me and Demona. It hadn't changed one bit from my last encounter. It looked like a human wearing a sheet- one that was all black and tar like.

Harpy you will lead it away from here. ONE ordered. Do not sacrifice yourself.

Yes master. Demona said.

“Be careful!" I said grabbing her paw.

We will not confront it little man. Demona said flying to one of the upper levels.

“Tina! Gia!" I whisper-shouted. 

Little slave you will....

“Working on it! Tina! Gia!" I said cutting off my master.

No not the dingos, you will see to the injured. 

“Respectfully no master, they were under my care I have to make sure they are safe!"

The synoptic took control of my body and forcibly made me march away from the courtyard I resisted and started searching for the dingo females.

(Did I do that?!)

“Alex!" I heard a she beastial whisper.

“Tina!" 

They were hiding in their garden.

“What is that thing?" Tina asked me.

“A monster that was inhabiting the Hall of Files building and decided to pay us a visit after the master infringed on its territory."

“It slithered through here and started attacking anything it could find!" The dingo waitress said.

“And now that it knows about this place we all aren't safe." I said grabbing the two females and leading them away.

“Alex, wait, wait what are you doing?"

“Tina, Gia this was your home but is no longer. But I know of a safe place away from all of this madness. Please come with me." I said to the two of them.

I took the two females to Jessie and Devon's former hideout in the swamp- the pagoda.

“What is this place?!" Tina said as our raft landed on the sandbar. 

“The someplace safe I was talking about. ONE is using it for an auxiliary base of operations. It has supplies, a well, fertile soil for planting and most of all it is away from the dangers in the city and that black tar creature. Go take a peek inside. I think you will like it here." I watched the two female dingos make their way inside the red and black structure as I felt a splitting horrid pain in my stomach. 

I fell to my knees doubling over in pain.

“Master! Master I am sorry!" I bleated. 

You defied us slave. Be assured that it will not happen again.

“Master, please understand! I care about the she dingo and her sister. I will not have them placed in danger! Or have them sacrificed!"

(Do to your stupidity.)

As I made that declaration the intensity of the pain increased 100 fold.

Some days later....

A stern looking silver gorilla stood guard over the entrance to the north maze of the lost city. This creature appeared to be in his late teens or his early twenties. Judging by his build he was roughly the size of Raier. He had nice muscle tone, a small scar above his right eye, long arms with equally long hands. His torso was mostly bare except for some brown shoulder pads. He wore what looked like a kilt around his mid section with three long extensions covering his groin to lower legs. Oh and then there were the two sickle weapons he was holding very sharp jagged looking things that made me wonder if he wasn't a sentry but an assassin.  

“Who dares approach!!!" He yelled at me.

“Who are you?!" I retched.

(I don't remember a gorilla in my family.)

“No. Who are you?!" He countered presenting his very sharp weapons. 

“Alex Winter." I dry heaved. “You see I used to live here and I have decided to return." 

Alex Winter- June 23rd, YOE 34