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_Last Chapter- _

Counter Earth Cosmetics is attacked. Alex and Lady Ursa desperately try to save as many of the company's employees as they can. In the aftermath, the knights determine that the attacker is someone or something called Neo. Later Alex and a coworker discovered to their horror that the events of the day were a test....

Counter Earth Chronicles

Chapter 82: Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid (A Grim Present And A Darker Future Part Three)

Day 250 continued

"Did you see that?" I blurted out loud.

"I feel b-better n-now." CAT said coming back online. "Alex, Leo. Something wrong?" The Counter Earth Cosmetics Access Terminal asked when we didn't respond.

"Are you fraking kidding me? What happened today was just a test?!" Leo growled. "As in some type of weapon?"

"CAT connect me to the supreme leader." I said still in shock.

"Right away Alex."

Soon I had Tyrannicus tiger on the holo screen.

"Sir did you see what just happened right now?" I asked him.

"We all did Alex." Chemar said jumping into the conversation. "It appears that Neo was just experimenting and decided use Counter Earth Cosmetics as his lab."

"He or it claimed it was successful." Leo said.

"Which means that this is only the beginning of something much larger." I added.

"Affirmative." The tiger said. "Everyone go home. I need to meet with the knights regarding this."

"Thank goodness it is Friday." The leopard said.

The supreme leader made a company wide announcement that everyone was to vacate site one and site two immediately. Over the weekend CAT would be purged and security updated to both sites. Tyrannicus would then decide if the company would reopen on Monday.

That evening before Lady Ursa, Chemar and I left, we had a conference call with Biff, Dusty, Looper and the supreme leader.

"I understand you have something more to add Mr. Winter?" The tiger asked me.

"The assailant identified himself or itself as Neo. That started me thinking."

"The Manassas incident pet?" Lady Ursa asked me.

"Would someone be as kind to fill me in?" Tyrannicus asked.

"A few months ago Alex and some friends befriended some extraterrestrials who had emigrated to this world from another." Lady Ursa began. "They had come here after their world had been destroyed by something called The Neo."

"Yes, I remembering hearing about that." Chemar said. "The extraterrestrials disappeared soon afterwards."

"Before disappearing they had warned Alex that it was on its way." My she beast said shocking the others present.

"Did they flee again because of The Neo?" Dusty asked.

"Regardless It looks like it has arrived." Looper gasped.

In the coming days the knights initiated multiple searches across Counter Earth to see if any other systems had been affected by The Neo. They also decided to establish outposts at both sites of Counter Earth Cosmetics in case any further attacks should take place.

It was decided that I maintain my cover and remain in my present position in the company. For the time being I was gainfully employed. That's right, I had a job.

Day 271 (afternoon)

It had been a long day for yours truly at Counter Earth Cosmetics. At the knights' request I had continued my cover as errand boy for the last three weeks keeping an eye out for further attacks on the employees and the CEO, I mean supreme leader. I guess I was the right person for the job because that attack had only targeted the beastials who worked for the company. If a second attack did occur, I wouldn't be affected nor would the other human employees of the company.

Despite the loss of life, the remaining coworkers pulled together and tried to maintain business as usual the last few weeks despite their grief.

"Well CAT II are there any more errands pending?" I asked the Counter Earth Cosmetics Access Terminal.

"No Mr. Winter. There are no pending errands from any department at the moment."

"It's Alex, anyway that is good to know."

"But you do have an incoming message from the Knights of Wundagore. A Lady Ursa."

"Put it through."

"It isn't a video or audio message, just text Mr. Winter."

What does it say?"

"Please go to the Knights' Outpost. Nothing further."

"Thanks CAT." I said to the holographic display.

"Any time Mr. Winter. Err- Alex."

I left my small corner office in the basement of the building and walked down the hallway to the outpost the Knights of Wundagore had established.

"Hey Springer!" I said greeting the buck I saw as I entered.

"Alex." He said not lifting his head from a virtual wall of monitors.

"Lady Ursa told me to come here."

"Communications room." He said pointing.

"Ok." I said walking into a secure room next to him and shutting the door. I sat down and pressed a button on a terminal in front of me.

The image of a female brown bear appeared.

"Evening pet, how was work today?"

"Grueling and tiring mistress. I think the Research, Documentation and Marketing departments are deliriously gleeful they have an errand boy to perform their runabout work."

"All in all it is quiet?"

"Yes mistress. Everyone is still dealing with the losses in their own way. Tyrannicus has started conducting preparedness drills at both sites for emergencies. But there haven't been any further attacks, no spellbound employees. Nothing."

"I see." My fierce ursine warrior said.

"Mistress it seems like the incident three weeks ago was some sort of dry run. Perhaps for something bigger?"

"Lady Vermin and I have been thinking the exact same thing given the fact that we haven't been able to make any progress in the past three weeks either."

"That bad mistress?" I asked her.

"All we know pet, was that CAT was somehow involved in the incident. But to date we haven't been able to determine how or the why. As for the who, we are no closer to determining who or what Neo is. Is it a bitter disgruntled human/former employee or this world ending thing those aliens you encountered said it was?" My warrior bear said flustered. "There are just too many unanswered questions pet and the master is not happy about it either."

"Wow." I said.

(It sucks to be a knight these days.)

"Anyway pet, Lady Vermin, Lea and I are working late this evening on another angle to this so I won't be able to pick you up from work. But I have made arrangements."

"What type of arrangements?"

"Sir Ram is concluding his duties for the day and will take you home."

(Oh great!)

I was still sore at that big horned sheep for investing in Counter Earth Cosmetics' predecessor- the same company that willingly chose to experiment on humans to test their products.

"Anything wrong pet?" My bear warrior asked noticing my uncomfortable silence.

"No mistress."

"You two have seem distant as of late."

"Mistress, he is holding and experimenting on my doppelgänger."

"No it is something more- it is like you two had a falling out." My lady bear said lifting an eyebrow.

(Damn that bear had keen senses.)

"If you have, it will be an opportunity to clean the air between you two. Now that you are actively assisting us on missions, you are colleagues who will need to depend on each other if something goes wrong."

"Riiight." I said as my she beast ended the transmission. With that I left the secure room and returned to my office.

This was just great, just great. I was still pretty mad at that evil beastial for what he did- it was well, evil. But not outside his character.

"Evening boy." I heard as I reentered my office to find the beastial scientist and knight sitting at my desk.

"Sir Ram." I said.

"Nice office and very comfortable chair. How is the assignment?"

"Much better than the Beastial Beauties assignment in that I am not considered a lab animal. However, I did retain my employee number though."

"How is the company to work for?" The knight said standing up from my desk.

"Wonderful, their supreme leader is a most enlightened beast. He values his employees and their contribution to his company whether they are human or beastial. He also believes in building a better society and future for Counter Earth with humans and beastials working side by side for the greater good."

"He is only partly right- certain humans." The evil ram said to me. "Shall we be going?"

"Sir Ram you know I am still quite cross with you. You know that?"

"Listen boy, I know my actions damaged the rapport between us, but you will get over that in time." The big horned sheep said to me coldly.

"Really is that the only apology I am going to get?" I said flabbergasted.

"Yes, I don't have to explain my actions to you or anyone else nor am I going to kiss your butt and beg for forgiveness." The evil beastial said.

"Are you so sure? I noticed that the upgrades made to my PDA were quite expedient and seem to be yours and Mara's doing."

"So you like the communicator and the panic button we added eh?" He said to me.

"Yes they were nice additions."

"Good because that is the closest butt kiss you will receive from me." He said as his hoof connected with my bottom and he used it to push me out of the door.

(Of all the umph!)

I followed Sir Ram outside to his hover bike and hopped on behind him. Just as his communicator sounded off.

"I am here." He responded.

"Sir Ram!" A familiar caracal appeared on the screen. "I know that you are at the end of your shift but I need to you to go to these coordinates."

"Why Sanda?" The evil beastial asked the watch supervisor.

"Beastial in destress. With the knights on patrol across World One and some others working on The Neo incident, we have some coverage gaps. You are the closet one. I would appreciate if you could assist."

"Fine send me the coordinates." Sir Ram huffed.

The beastial scientist studied the information that the caracal sent after ending the communication.

"So what is going on?" I asked as Sir Ram grew silent.

"Virtual kidnapping."

"A what the what now?"

"Someone or something is threatening a beastial near here and Sanda says we are the closest so we get to investigate."

"Sure what is a little detour on the way home."

With that we were off. Sir Ram flew us to a nice penthouse atop a nice looking high-rise about three miles from the Counter Earth Cosmetics facility I worked at. We landed on the roof and walked into a very huge one floor apartment- gorgeous kitchen, immaculate bedroom, stylish dining room and unbelievable great room. I was so jealous.

In the middle of the great room was the complainant a male porcupine in a nice suit who was talking to someone on the viewscreen:

_"Your sweetie was responsible for a serious wreck this afternoon; she injured a lot of beasts." _

"Can I speak with her?" The porcupine said addressing the a mysterious someone who was obscured in the background of the image.

"No, we have tied her up and have her in the back room. She will be punished for her horrible driving. That is unless you decide to compensate us for our pain and suffering right now!"

"I assumed you are the one that requested help?" I asked as Sir Ram and I entered the great room.

"Please you gotta help me- they are holding my mate captive and refuse to let her go unless I pay them right now!" The porcupine said horrified.

"How much are they demanding?" Sir Ram said hitting the mute and the privacy settings on the viewscreen simultaneously.

"More than I have the he beast said humbly. I have requested that they let me speak to Tavia but they won't let me."

"Let me guess they said they have her and will injure or kill her unless you pay them right now." Sir Ram said crossing his arms.

The horrified porcupine nodded.

"How long have you been in contact with these individuals?" I asked.

"About twenty minutes. I wasn't getting anywhere with them and was growing desperate."

"Let me guess that is when you called for help Mr ah-."

"Ricky and mate is Tavia."

"Ricky have you tried to contact your mate at any time during this?" Sir Ram asked.

"Uh no." The he beast said.

"Try." The evil beastial said.

Riki pressed a button on the remote.

"Hey honey what's up?" A female porcupine said picking up.

"Honey are you ok?!"

"Yeah. What's wrong?"

"I heard that you were involved in a bad accident. One of the drivers that you injured was holding you for ransom."

"Sweetie I have been at the office all day. I am about to leave now. Is that why there are knights in our living room?"

"Virtual kidnapping." Sir Ram blurted out.

"Virtual what?!" The couple asked in unison.

"It is a form of extortion against the uniformed. I will handle it." The ram warrior said.

Sir Ram instructed Riki to end the call with his mate. While the porcupine was doing that Sir Ram placed a device on the hub remote.

"Ok now." He ordered the porcupine.

"Riki restored the audio with the 'kidnappers.'

"Ok I will pay your ransom, just don't hurt Tavia. Where do you want payment sent?"

"To this location here." Came the response.

I looked at Sir Ram and the shaded kidnapper. Sir Ram had that devilish grin on his face again.

No sooner had I thought that, the evil ram pressed a button on his communicator and a bolt of electricity struck the kidnapper dropping him to the floor. It must have been a pretty good sized bolt the kidnapper was twitching and writhing on the floor of where ever he was located.

"Remember citizen don't believe everything you hear. Your first action should have been to call your mate to corroborate the story and to make sure that she was ok. You failed to do this and as a result let this ruse last longer than it should have." Sir Ram said leaving.

(WOW.)

"Come boy."

"Where are we going?"

"To find our virtual thieves." The he beast said as I followed him down a nearby stairwell.

We made our way two whole floors underneath the penthouse to room 1229.

Sir Ram looked at his communicator. "This is the place."

"Um, and how do you know that?"

"There has been an uptick in this type of crime within the empire- Mara developed this program to disable would be criminals who use this method to increase their wealth."

"Let me guess most are humans who are affiliated with the rebellion." I huffed.

"Not all boy some are just con artists who are trying to avoid working for a living." He smirked at me. "Door I command that you open on order of the Knights of Wundagore!"

As the evil knight and myself entered the apartment, we found an elaborate set- a production studio meant to simulate various locations for nefarious purposes.

At the far side of the room sprawled out on the floor was our virtual kidnapper still twitching for the electric shock Sir Ram had given him.

The he beast drew his service weapon and aimed it. He looked at me and nodded.

"Gee you are too kind Sir Ram." I said as a approached the kidnapper. I turned on the lights in that side of the studio. In doing so, I got a good look at our kidnapper. "You were right. It is a human roughly my age."

Sir Ram scanned his tracking chip. "Jonathan Jump, a con artist who specializes in extortion, kidnapping with a side of robbery."

"Does he know Gene Yuss?" I asked.

"No matter, like Gene, he will be judged and punished. I think those two should be separated so that they won't have the possibility of comparing notes or escaping."

Sir Ram shot the young adult with his paralysis ray and called it in for pick up. By that time evening was turning into night as he notified Sanda of his capture.

"Sir Ram what did you find?" The watch supervisor asked.

"Another virtual kidnapper who was extorting the gullible and uninformed." The ram warrior said to the caracal in his communicator. "There seems to be a lot of these guys popping up more and more lately."

"Well now there is one less out there. Great job."

"Good, I am going to call it a day- Mara and I have plans tonight and I have to escort Alex here home." The ram started to say as we approached his hover bike.

"Uh about that." Sanda interrupted. I have another mission that just came in."

Sir Ram looked at me then Sanda in disbelief.

"Really?"

"A missing person's report just came in. It is near your location..."

"Fine we will look into it." The evil beastial said annoyed.

"Ah the life of a Knight of Wundagore." I mocked the perturbed ram.

Sir Ram grumbled picked me up by the scruff of my neck and plopped me down on his hover bike- just right.

"OW! My tenders!"

The ram snickered as he sat down behind me and we took off.

"So where is Sanda sending us this time?"

"Brambleton Acres a few miles to the south." The he beast said to me. "Five minutes away."

We arrived at a semi-rural neighborhood on the outskirts of World One which was a street with small single story houses that looked to be built before the High Evolutionary came to power.

The neighborhood was removed from the city but still was provided a great view of it especially at night.

"Nice area, although it could use a new coat of paint."

"It is a human area." Sir Ram said as he landed his hover bike. "This community is inhabited by humans who have just enough to escape living in the basement- barely."

What the beastial scientist was saying was that this was a lower class community inhabited by those who were able to escape living in the overcrowded slums of World One.

"Which house?" I asked the he beast.

"What do you think boy?" The ram said condescendingly to me.

"Uh, the one with the woman waving to us out of the front door?"

"Sir knight! Sir knight!"

"What is it!" The evil beastial said walking over to a grey haired woman who appeared to be in her late sixties. She was wearing a white shirt with jeans and a funny looking yellow scarf.

"I was the one who called."

"What of it?" The ram warrior asked.

"It is about Henry, my husband he hasn't been home for the last few days. I fear that something may have happened to him." The woman said scared.

"I don't care!" The knight said staring down at the woman indignantly.

The evil beastial's prejudice was showing through again.

"What my colleague means, is that we will do our best to locate him." I said stepping in front of the indifferent ram. "But first we are going to need some information Ms. uh...."

That was when Sir Ram pulled out his scanner and scanned the woman's tracking chip.

"Her name is Julia Way. She is 63 years old and a retired school teacher. She is generally supportive of the empire, tolerant of beastials and the High Evolutionary." The big horned sheep said looking at his scanner. "She is married to Henry Way a professor and researcher. Hmm, a modest citizen in every way. But I think I can find something."

"RAM!" I said nudging him aside.

"Mrs. Way, when was the last time you saw your husband?" I asked the concerned woman.

"It was about two days ago. He seemed excited and giddy. He told me that a project he was working on for a long time was going to come to fruition- soon and that was when he disappeared. I haven't seen him since."

"Big project you say? He probably was just pulling an all nighter and lost track of time."

"For the last two days?" Julia shot back.

"Have you tried contacting him?" Sir Ram asked annoyed.

"Yes at all of his normal places. If he is there he won't answer. Can you please help me? I have been worried sick." The woman said placing her hand on the knight's arm.

Sir Ram looked down at her as if to say how dare you touch me human!

"We will get right on it!" I said escorting the senior Knight of Wundagore back to his hoverbike. "Is this how you conduct your missions?" I asked the evil beastial.

"Only the ones involving humans. Now let's go home boy- Mara is waiting for me."

"Wait, wait! We have a person who has gone missing, his wife is worried out of her mind and you aren't even going to make an effort to investigate?"

"NO! Now let's go."

"Sir Ram what is wrong with you? The other knights Chemar, Sanda and Springer would perform their due diligence to try to locate this missing individual and return him back to his wife."

"I am not the other knights the ram said sitting down on his hover bike."

"That is right you are a senior knight. Despite your prejudices and hatred of humans, you are supposed to be setting an example for the other knights in the core- the junior knights who are coming up in ranks and look up to seasoned individuals like you."

Sir Ram looked at me in disgust as I said that.

"What example are you setting if you ignore a fellow creature's pleas for help just because she is a species you despise?"

The beastial warrior didn't say anything as he picked me up by the scruff of my neck and again plopped me down on his hover bike- just right.

"OW!"

He then pulled up Henry Way's tracking chip on the hoverbike's display.

"There he has been found! He is at the north end of the city."

"Sir Ram we better go and check on him." I said to the annoyed knight.

"Ugh!" The ram warrior said as he started his hover bike and we departed the neighborhood and headed north.

It took us about twenty minutes to reach the north end of the city. I noticed during our travel that Henry Way's tracking chip did not move even once.

"This looks to be the place." Sir Ram said as we circled. "It is near the park where...."

"Yeah don't remind me. Where you and Lord Tiger passed final judgement on those bandits that were lead by that naga."

"I wonder how those newly planted trees are doing?" The ram smiled wickedly as he landed his hover bike.

"I think something is really wrong Sir Ram. Henry Way's signal has not moved at all during our trip up here." I said still looking at the display on the dashboard of the hoverbike.

The he beast stood up from the bike and looked at the row of townhouses adjacent to the park.

"Which one?" I asked as the ram looked at the tracker on the hover bike.

"That one!" He pointed to a grey two level unassuming structure.

The house looked exactly like the one's next to it. Door on the ground level. Three windows on the floor above it and three more on the floor above that.

"Let's get this over with!" The senior knight said approaching the door.

I tried the handle. "It's locked."

"I command you to open on by the authority of the Knights of Wundagore!" The beastial knight said to the lock.

No Access! The lock responded.

"When was the last time that happened?" I said looking at him.

"Stand back." The knight said brushing me to the side with his left arm while picking up his service weapon with his right.

He aimed at the lock and fired a small blast.

Granted! The lock responded. With that the senior knight opened the door.

"Well?!" He said looking at me.

"I don't sense anything danger or otherwise." I responded.

"Then in you go!" He said shoving me.

"Hey!" I said as I was shoved inside.

With that we made entrance into the townhouse. I looked around the first floor which was the family room. Then the second floor which was the living room and kitchen and then top floor bedroom.

It was a very nice house- but there was one problem it was completely vacant, no appliances, no furniture nothing.

"His signal is still coming from here boy. There is more to this place than we are seeing." Sir Ram said to me as we made our way back downstairs to the first floor.

"Ah so now you are interested?"

Sir Ram looked at his communicator. "Henry Way is still in this structure."

"But where? We checked out the whole house." I said.

"Not exactly boy."

"We did not check below it."

I looked around the family-room. I did not find a single door other than the one we entered. If there is one here, it is hidden.

Sir Ram walked around the room as he looked at his scanner back and forth he walked as he studied the signal.

"There!"

"There what?!" I asked.

"The wall." The beastial scientist said raising his weapon and firing.

*ZAP*

The laser blast had revealed stairs leading into the ground beneath the house. I followed Sir Ram as we went down the staircase below the house.

What we found underneath was a underground laboratory- flasks and beakers, with strange liquids, weird machines and objects next to them.

"Another of your secret labs Sir Ram?"

"No boy, this one is less sophisticated than my own." The beastial scientist said looking over the weird machines that lined the back walls of the lab, then the strange objects next to the machine. "The human is an inventor."

"That's me!" We heard a disembodied voice coming from somewhere in the lab.

The senior knight of Wundagore and I looked up at the ceiling and saw a grey haired man in a white lab coat starring down at us.

"Henry Way I presume?" I asked.

"Professor actually." He said.

"Not a very good one either." The big horned sheep said.

"RAM!" I said hushing the prejudiced beastial. "Professor, your wife sent us after you. She was concerned that you haven't been home the last few days."

"I have been hanging out here. I was testing a new compound and it exploded sticking me to the ceiling." He said gesturing to the crusty brown stuff holding him in place. It reminded me of Sir Ram's glue bomb he used that one time in the office building.

"Do you still have that solvent used to neutralize your glue bomb?"

"Yes." The evil ram replied.

"Well can you use some it on him?"

"I suppose." Sir Ram huffed.

The beasital warrior affixed a solvent cartridge on the end of his service weapon, took aim and then fired at professor Way.

The professor dropped from the ceiling like a lead brick.

*THUD*

"I'm ok!" He said as I rushed to his side. "Thanks for saving me. I don't know how long I would have remained there if you hadn't come."

"That's ok." I replied just remember it is not a good idea to practice science alone- say what things do you work on anyway?"

"Oh mostly travel." The professor said standing up. "Moving great distances with minimal effort."

"Really how so?" Sir Ram asked.

"I have been working on several inventions over the years. My first was a time machine. I wanted to go back in time and view significant historical events in history."

"Really? What did this time machine look like professor?" I said cocking my head to the side.

"Oh it was disguised as a typical elevator. During the testing phase it got away from me and has been jumping back and forth through time." Mr. Way said casually.

"IT WAS YOU!!! YOU WERE THE ONE THAT MADE THAT THING!!!" I said as I prepared to pummel him.

"It was me what?" The professor asked surprised.

"I encountered that thing along with some friends of mine at the Remembrance Museum some months back and we got stranded 118 years in the past!" I said jumping on the nutty professor who now that I looked at him, bared a slight resemblance to the professor who had given me my PDA on Gaia and had gotten me into this mess. He even sounded like him.

"Boy stand down." Sir Ram said pulling me off of him.

"Because of that damn machine I and my friends experienced one of the worst weekends of my entire life!"

"How did you get back?" professor Way said standing up.

"It reappeared days later right where it had dropped us off. If it hadn't I would have still been in the past long before the start of the empire.

"So it has shown up at the same place twice.... Maybe there is a chance."

"Sir Ram I think we should be going. The mission has been completed." I said as I started to make my way toward the stairs.

"What is the rush boy? I would like to hear about some of the other projects he has been working on." The ram said showing interest.

(Now he is interested? Really?)

"The problem is, that I have horrible luck in dealing with professors. I have a feeling that Mr. Way is the doppelgänger of the professor that gave me my PDA, stranding me on Counter Earth."

"PDA? You mean like this one?" Mr. Way said picking up a device that bared a slight resemblance to mine only that it was black in color.

"What does it do?" Sir Ram asked snatching it from the professor's grasp.

"Let me guess it opens up at transporter which allows it users to visit distant worlds even those in alternate realities." I said as I watched Sir Ram power on the device and start flipping through its various displays.

"Not exactly, it..."

*ZAP*

*POOF*

Sir Ram and I never got to hear the professor finish his sentence. In a blink of an eye we had disappeared from Professor Henry Way's lab.

Damn it, I should have known better. For the third time in a year I had gotten hosed by a nutty professor and his even nuttier inventions.

(I guess I should have seen that coming.)

*POOF*

Sir Ram and I reappeared in an underground cavern with many beings running around it kind of resembled Gaia before its end.

"SIR RAM!! WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

To Be Continued....