Junkyard Thing Part 6 - Home
Story by bearwithin on SoFurry
Josie is fascinated to discover that her canine lover can talk, but his past still remains a mystery...
This story is part of a six part series: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6
_Darkness. Confusion. The taste of vomit in his mouth. His head spun. Where was he? Who was he? _
He lay on a hard cold floor. There were voices but he couldn't make sense of anything. A roaring in his ears threatened to overwhelm him. Then a moment of clarity: There were others; they were dangerous. He had to escape. They had moved away. Slowly he pulled himself upright. It took every ounce of his strength and will. He crawled away from the others, into the darkness. Anywhere, so long as he escaped. The floor dropped away below him; he half-slithered, half-fell down a flight of stairs. The roaring rose again in his ears - or was it real? He couldn't tell. He couldn't think, he could only hold on to one thought: Escape. His nose drew him towards a dark opening where the air was cold and fresh. Down he slid, slime under foot, no way to stop. Then he plunged into cold water. He tumbled over and over, losing any sense of up and down in the utter darkness.
_He burst into the air again, gasping for breath, coughing up muddy water. Distant lights wheeled in the dark as the current carried him downstream. He could barely keep himself above water; the roaring threatened to engulf his mind. Then there was mud under his paws, and the wheeling stopped. Little by little, he hauled himself out of the flooded stream and over the mud. Cold rain teemed down from a black sky. He just wanted to lie down, to give up, to sleep. Shelter, said the tiny voice which still remained in his mind. Must find shelter. _
Acrid smells came to his nose. A strange shape loomed in the darkness ahead. An opening; inside it was dry. He dragged himself in and curled up. The insistent voice in his mind was finally quiet as the roaring in his ears swelled and his awareness faded away.
“You have questions."
It was a statement of the obvious. Josie's mind was brimming – spilling over – with them. They had given the strange young man a lift to his house, and Josie had decided not to tell him anything, at least not yet, partly because she knew almost nothing herself. Now they had the car to themselves as they drove home, and Josie had to ask the most pressing question.
“So you're not the one attacking pets and.. people around here, are you?"
“NO!"
The response was emphatic, and now Josie felt a surge of relief when she realised that she believed him. Guilt, too, that she had ever doubted him. Kiba sat on the front seat, wrapped awkwardly in the seat-belt, and stared at her, trying to convince her of his sincerity as he continued.
“I read the news, to learn more about… Everything. I see these attacks. I think, maybe it's more of my kind. I just knew. Don't know how. So I have been searching."
“Your injury – the other day. That was them?"
“Yes. I followed a scent, just one of them, but he trick me in the dark! Bit, got away."
“So, um…" Josie tried to find the right words to frame a strange question. “What are you? I mean, you're not a dog, not the usual kind. Where are you from?"
The thing just shook his head, then looked at the floor for a moment.
“I don't know, don't remember. Remember Rick, remember the dirt and cold, seemed like a long time. Remember you rescue me."
“Hey, watch it!" The car lurched as he nudged her arm with a cold nose.
“Sorry." He sighed. “Before that, not much. I start to remember something… Mountains? A castle? But maybe just a dream."
Josie frowned as she pulled into her driveway and turned off the engine. He could talk, which was amazing, and yet she still had no explanation for what he was or where he came from.
She collapsed on the couch, and Kiba climbed up and sat down in his favourite position with his head on her leg. She was so used to their non-verbal communication that she almost forgot that she could talk to him. When he rolled over onto his back, her hand slid down to caress his sheath, just as she had done many times before. Then she stopped, feeling suddenly shy, as if the ability to talk somehow changed things.
“You do like this, right?" She asked, tentatively.
“Mmm-hmm", he murmured. “Very nice."
It was late. Josie wanted to forget the mysteries, doubts and uncertainty for a while.
“Come on, you." She prodded the reclining canine. “Bath, and then bed!"
“Yes, ma'am."
Kiba's speech improved rapidly with practice, although his voice remained hoarse. Over the next couple of days he seemed to be recalling more about his lost home. There was a wistful note to his voice as he spoke of running through the forests or lounging in his favourite hot pool beneath snowy peaks, under the bright stars. Josie felt a little stab of jealously, a fear that she could lose him if this fantastical world proved to be real, and she felt ashamed for feeling that way. But still he could remember nothing about who he was or how he came to be on Earth. Then he would slip his tongue oh so gently between her labia, wrap his strong paws around her, press his heat against her naked skin, and she would forget everything in the passion of the moment.
When Josie arrived home from work, Kiba was nowhere to be found. It had been an interesting day; an email had circulated stating that Rob would be resigning to “take on new challenges". Apparently the recent events had caused him to re-evaluate his life choices; Josie felt elated.
But now she was home, and the Thing was gone, and once again she began to wonder what he was up to. She had just checked the house a second time to make sure he wasn't home when her old-fashioned door bell jangled. Kiba had an extra-large dog flap in the back door, so it couldn't be him. She opened it to find a man in a nondescript dark suit and sunglasses.
“Josephine Chisholm?"
Josie winced at the formal name she never used.
“Yes. And you would be?"
“Paul Smith. GCSB. That's – “
“Government Communication Security Bureau. I know. Have I been selling government secrets?"
“No, but you may be able to help us with a matter of national security."
“Paul" handed her an identity card which did indeed identify him as Paul Smith, Communications Analyst, GCSB, for whatever that was worth. Josie tried to play it cool as she studied the ID. She was just a normal citizen; she knew nothing about national security or strange canine creatures who seemed to be from another planet.
“We've detected some suspicious activity in the vicinity of West Pine Crescent and I'm hoping you can shed some light on it."
Josie tensed at the mention of the industrial cul-de-sac, center of recent events. Had he noticed her reaction? She wondered what kind of activity would catch the attention of what amounted to the national spy agency. Surely not a few unexplained dog attacks.
“I'm sorry, I don't know what you are talking about."
He nodded to where her small car sat in the carport. “And yet your vehicle was observed in the vicinity, and you were seen entering the street, late at night."
“Oh… _that _West Pine Crescent." Josie thought furiously while trying to keep up her facade of nonchalance. “I was walking my dog."
Smith gave a little nod. He appeared to be enjoying himself. Perhaps he didn't get out of the office much.
“Ah yes. An awfully strange place and time to be walking a dog. The dog you're not registered as owning, and which you don't seem to have any more, unless he's being very quiet."
Josie had a moment of panic, thinking that he must know all about Kiba. But no; they probably hadn't had a clear view; Smith was merely suggesting that the dog walk was a cover. In which case, it would be best if she didn't deny it.
“Well," she said, trying to decide how to play it. She could hardly believe that there was any "national security" concern, but perhaps this was her chance to find out what was really happening. “I might have been in the area."
“Good. I don't have a lot of time to explain. Would you come with me?"
Josie didn't want to seem too keen.
“What if I refuse? You're not the police."
“Of course, of course. I can't force you. But you don't really want to annoy the GCSB. Not me, of course, but I'd have to report to my superior that you refused to help, and…" He left the threat hanging. It was comically melodramatic but also vaguely sinister; she really didn't know what the secretive agency was capable of.
“Ok, I get it. I'll just grab a jacket."
A faceless Ford SUV sat in the street in front of the house. Another dark suit leaned against the front door. This one looked fit and muscular, and the bulge in his jacket might have been a gun. He opened the back door and ushered Josie in, then climbed into the front seat. The doors locked with a smooth click as soon as Josie was inside. Smith got into the driver's seat, and they pulled out and headed down towards the city.
The suit in the passenger seat unfolded a laptop and squinted at the screen for a while. Josie peeked surreptitiously over his shoulder. The screen showed a map centred on West Pine Crescent. An area of blue shading in the middle of the map was pulsating softly.
“The signal is still good, sir." He said. Whatever it was, Josie guessed that it was close to the building where they had encountered Jason and the other things.
Smith glanced back from the driver's seat. “We detected a very unusual radio signal and we're trying to track it down. Could be some new kind of long long range comms."
“Well, I don't know anything about that," said Josie, quite truthfully. “I'm not sure that I can help."
“Oh, I think you may be more useful than you think."
It was a suitably cryptic answer, and it was plain that the GCSB agent knew more than he was willing to say. Which was to be expected, of course. The SUV pulled into the industrial street and parked in the shadows between street lights.
“This way."
Smith spoke softly as he led the way down the street. The other suit followed discreetly behind, his posture somehow suggesting that Josie would be wise to comply. They turned down an alley between buildings, then crossed a shadowy parking lot. A squat concrete building loomed in the dark. The suit pulled out a small torch and lit the way.
They descended a flight of dank steps. Here they came to a series of rooms which had once housed machinery. The orange glow of a few dim bulbs illuminated the space.
“Wait here," said Smith, taking a step back. Too late, Josie noticed that she stood in a dead-end chamber. The metal door was already swinging shut as she turned around. Suit slid the lock home with an ominous clunk.
“Hey!", Josie shouted her indignation, but there was no reply. The door had a small ventilation crate; she peered through. The two agents stood outside, looking the other way. They didn't have to wait long; there was a scrabble of paws on concrete, and two of the other canines strolled in. Josie recognised the female and the large white male from their previous encounter. Josie glanced towards the GCSB agents, expecting to see a surprised reaction. Instead, she saw recognition. They knew the canines; in fact, it looked like they were expecting them. Smith confirmed Josie's analysis.
“Right on time. We brought her, as you requested." He nodded towards the locked door.
The male canine sauntered over, reared up on his hind paws and peered through the grate. Josie got a close-up glimpse of his large teeth and cold grey eyes. He gave a huff in confirmation as he turned back to his companion. The female nodded.
“Now it's your turn." Smith continued with an air of expectation. Josie stared through the gaps in shocked silence. The agents had made some kind of deal. How she could be involved was anybody's guess; she still had no idea what was going on.
“Not yet!", the female canine rasped. “Still need – " She made a huffing sound, but Josie couldn't make it out. “You help us, yes? Then we show you the power. Not before."
“Ok, but how long is it going to take?"
“Soon, soon."
“Oy!" Yelled Josie, rattling the locked door in frustration. “Can someone tell me what's going on?"
Smith sidled over to the cell door.
“You can shut the hell up!", he said loudly. “Nobody is going to hear you anyway!" Then he leaned close to the grate and whispered. “Don't worry, they promised not to hurt anyone if we help them."
At that moment, the female cocked her head sideways in a very canine gesture.
“Ah huh!" she whispered. “Over here, and quiet!"
The two humans and two canine things retreated into a dark alcove on the far side of the room. There was a moment of silence, then she heard the unmistakable click of claws on concrete. She caught her breath; for it could only be…
Kiba stepped through the doorway, his crest raised and his dark coat catching the dim light. Now Josie understood why she was there; it was a trap, and she was the bait.
He caught her scent and turned towards the locked door. “Kiba, No!" she cried, but much too late. The door to the room slammed shut, and when Kiba spun around, he faced the snarling teeth of the two other things and Suit's gun which was aimed at his head.
Grey's fur bristled as Kiba took a step towards her. A series of growls and whines passed between them, and Josie imagined the female thing pointing out that he was outnumbered and outgunned. After a moment, Kiba lowered his head as he conceded the point. Josie was kicking herself for being so stupid and walking right into the trap. But in her defence, an alliance between the government officials and the canines was the last thing she expected.
“Now what?" Smith looked towards Grey, who definitely seemed to call the shots despite her smaller size.
“Now we show you the power. Bring them both!"
Smith opened the cell door, and ushered Josie out. Suit stood back, covering the room with his automatic. He looked very professional. The things led the way out of the room, with Josie and Kiba in the middle and the two agents keeping a watchful eye from behind.
The room looked empty apart from a rusty old cabinet. The canines threw their weight against it, and it slid to one side with a metallic screech to reveal a dark hole where the concrete wall had collapsed. Josie was intrigued despite their uncertain situation; when they scrambled down into the hole, she was excited to see the hard basalt walls of a lava cave. Power cables snaked along the floor, and light bulbs had been strung up at intervals to light the way. A humming sound came from somewhere ahead.
They rounded a bend, where Josie was even more interested in the strange obsidian platform with its glowing control pedestal. This was certainly the power source that the GCSB agents sought. Josie could understand their interest; it looked very alien in origin.
Kiba and Josie were made to stand beside the platform. Smith was inspecting it with unconstrained excitement, but Suit still kept a watchful eye and a steady gun on the prisoners. Josie squatted next to Kiba.
“I'm sorry," she whispered. “I was stupid; I didn't realise it was a trap."
“No!" The canine's hoarse reply was breathed close to her ear. “I should apologise for dragging you into this. I thought they were after you, I try to watch, to find out why. I didn't know they wanted me."
“Any idea what is going on?"
The canine shook his head. “This place is… Familiar. Scary. Think I was here before Rick's junkyard. But it's all like a dream."
Josie pictured the Pinehaven map in her mind. A ramshackle industrial area. Forgotten tunnels connected to storm water drains, prone to flooding during heavy rain; drains which led down to a creek. A creek which meandered down towards the harbour, through banks of mangroves, past...
Rick's Automotive Dismatler's. Josie had a pretty good idea how Kiba had ended up in that junk yard.
Smith had been staring at the illuminated pedestal beside the platform. He straightened up and addressed the Things.
“This is all very fascinating, but I want to see it do something."
“Yes yes," huffed the female, “I sure you will be impressed. Just watch."
She stepped towards the panel with its glowing symbols. At that moment, a humming sound began and rose steadily in volume. Sparkles of light swirled and coalesced over the dark surface of the platform. Smith was watching the device with transparent excitement, but Josie noticed a look of shock on the female thing's face. She had not actually touched any of the controls. It looked like things weren't going to plan.
The canine took a step back, confusion registering on her face, as a shimmering curtain of light rose up from the platform. Everyone stood frozen in uncertainty for a long moment, faces illuminated by the pale glow of the light-curtain. Then a strange dark shape appeared in the middle of the light. At first, it was just a jumble of elongated shadows, but all of a sudden it shrunk down and solidified into the shape of a canine thing, and the blue male tumbled out of the gate. His momentum carried him down the steps, and he slithered to a stop in the middle of the circle of astonished onlookers. He found himself face-to-face with Kiba.
“YOU!" Cried Kiba, a look of recognition spreading across his features. “I remember you!" And now the big canine's lips were pulled back in a snarl. “I should tear your throat out right now!"
Everyone in the room seemed too shocked to move, except Blue, who visibly shrunk, ears down and tail tucked between his legs.
The light shimmered, and Josie looked up as another shape appeared. This one took on human form, and Josie was even more surprised when Jason appeared out of thin air and stepped out into the cave. He took one look at the cowering Blue and the growling Kiba, and rushed across to where they stood. He dropped to his knees beside Blue, one arm protectively around the thing's muscular neck, and bowed his he head towards Kiba while he tried to catch his breath.
“Your highness," he began, his tone both deferential and also awkward. “Please… I know what he did to you, but he's really sorry, and he's been trying to put it right. I can vouch for that."
Josie looked from one to the other, baffled. But then Kiba's face softened, and he sat down, bemused. “I feel very angry, and yet I don't remember why," he muttered.
The female canine thing had been watching. Now she stepped forward and addressed Blue.
“I don't know what you been doing. I don't care. But we taking him back, that's the deal. Eh Smith?"
Smith nodded, but Suit seemed indecisive; the gun wasn't pointing at anyone in particular. Josie decided that it – whatever it was – could go either way.
But the light curtain continued to glow and swirl, and more shapes were appearing. They solidified into canine form, and then, one after another, five canines stepped through. Josie caught her breath, for these were nothing like the mottly assortment she'd met so far. They were all big and muscular, and they wore ornate leather armour over their shoulders, flanks and hindquarters. Steel blades gleamed on their front paws, and each wore a red chevron emblem on their shoulder. And at the sight of Kiba, each gave a respectful bow.
Josie saw movement out of the corner of her eye. The other two canines had sidled towards the light-gate while everyone's attention was on the newcomers. But they were spotted; two uniformed canines wheeled around and pounced, knocking them to the ground with practised ease. Each found themselves pinned with a curved blade menacing their throat.
“Well!" said Smith. “This is quite a floor-show."
Suit had no idea who to threaten any more, so he put the gun away. Josie looked at Jason. “I hope you can explain what's going on!".
Jason took a moment to look around the cavern.
“Well, I guess you figured out that thing is some kind of gateway. Wormhole? I don't know. This guy – " – he nodded towards Kiba – “and with all due respect to your highness, I'm sorry but I can't pronounce your actual name – is some kind of crown prince, except he's been missing for years because this group of bandits kidnapped him. Something about trying to start a war? But anyway they were in it for the money.
“I think their plan was going well, and the prince was safely imprisoned here on Earth, where they would never find him. Except somehow he escaped, and they've been trying to track him down again. Now they found him, and also the king recently passed away (I'm sorry to bring this bad news, your highness) so I guess they planned to take him back and ransom him or something.
“Anyway, I met up with Blue here." Josie noticed that the young man still had his arm around the canine's shoulders.
“So we travelled to their world, and told the guards where the prince was… And, well, here we are!"
One of the armoured guards stepped forward. An extra badge on his shoulder indicated that he was the captain. He bowed to Kiba, and a conversation followed in the canine's gruff language. When the captain stepped back, Kiba drew himself up and looked around the room.
“It seems that I must go home now. These two will be taken back for punishment." He nodded towards the two bandits. Then he turned to Blue.
“And this one… He was my loyal servant and friend, I thought, but he sold me out. And slipped the poison weed into my drink so that I forgot everything. For that, you also deserve punishment. But you have tried to make amends, and we will take that into account, if you will agree to come home peacefully and accept your fate."
Now Kiba turned to the humans.
“As representative of our world, I invite you all – and especially you, Josie – to travel back with us for a proper welcome. There is much to discuss, but I am sick of this cave, and it's time I saw home again."
Thoughts and fears had chased themselves through Josie's head during the journey down from the gate cave to the town with its genuine castle. To meet a lost prince… It was a plot from a corny story. Kiba wasn't the dirty and bedraggled thing she'd found any more; surely he had a life here and a long-lost fiancée of his own kind. He'd say a royal thanks, and there would be a feast, and that would be it, Bye Josie, back to your dull and lonely life in West Auckland.
But she soon discovered that there was no fiancée, and that night she held him tightly in the cosy depths of a cushioned enclave in a fairly-tale palace. He was still the same Kiba, her wild and powerful Thing. Sensing her doubts, Kiba rubbed his broad muzzle against her face. Then he sat up.
“This is all pretty crazy to me, too." he said. “I still don't really remember my old life. But whatever happens, I want you to be a part of it, OK?"
Josie nodded, and she couldn't help noticing the way the warm lamplight played over his sheath. She propped herself up until she could kiss his nose while she reached down and stroked his belly, running her fingers over his cock through its soft covering. he felt his breathing quicken, and she lay back on the pillows as he bent down to lick her breasts, then worked his way down. Hungrily he licked at her entrance, and then he was pressing forward, and his front paws were around her waist, and she ran her hands down his muscular flanks as his cock slid into her welcoming depths.
Josie stood on the high stone balcony and looked out towards the snow-capped mountains which formed the distant horizon. The lands spread out from the picture-book medieval village, a patchwork of fields dotted with thatched cottages. Canine creatures hurried or ambled through the streets below, going about their business. Some wore bright, loose-fitting clothes over their short fur, others were naked in the warm morning sun. Their crests shimmered occasionally as they caught the light. Evidence of their craftsmanship and ingenuity showed in the ornate woodwork and beautiful stone masonry of the town, and in the opulent decor of the bedroom behind her.
Kiba poked his nose in the door, and his tail wagged when he saw her. He wore an embroidered jacket of dark red silk, which looked quite dashing over his ebony fur. A gap along the back allowed his crest to poke up, and iridescence glinted along its length.
“Come on!" he said. “Everyone is here!"
They descended broad stairs to the wide throne-room below, where a number of canines were already assembled. They presented in a variety of fur colours and patterns, and most wore ceremonial jackets and jewellery to indicate their status. Guards in their leather uniforms stood discreetly at the rear. Jason stood in the middle with Blue at his side. Both looked pensive. The two GCSB agents sat on a couch surrounded by a colourful entourage of fascinated canine courtesans. They had been given a tour of the town and treated to the local hospitality. The canines brewed a variety drinks which included fairly decent beer and mead, and the local population had welcomed the strange off-worlders with incredulity which soon turned to great excitement and enthusiasm. Josie could only guess what kind of evening they had enjoyed, but they both looked relaxed.
One end of the room was filled by a raised dais, where a high-backed couch served as a throne. Kiba shunned the elevated seat, however, and instead stood at the edge of the dais. Jose stood beside Jason and Blue as Kiba began to speak. He addressed the other canines in the barks, coughs and whines of their language, but switched to earth English and translated for the benefit of the humans.
“I have thanked everyone for welcoming us back. I tell them I will stay, because there are many political problems and they need a leader. But I also tell them we need to make some changes. I don't wish to be king. Its time we formed a proper government.
“And now we also have the gate to consider. I think we can learn from Earth, and trade. But we must be careful. For that we need help."
He looked towards Josie.
“We will need a human adviser to stay here and help us to learn. I think you would be prefect, if you want to stay."
Josie considered, thinking that she would have to leave her job and her home. She thought of her stuffy office, and the crowded city. Then she thought of Kiba. Yes, of course she would stay! She nodded, not trusting her voice just then.
Kiba looked exceptionally pleased, and Josie couldn't keep a huge smile off her face. Then the prince turned to Blue.
“You have committed a serious crime against your prince. We have seen how sorry you are and that you have rectified the situation, but still, a punishment is required."
Blue's ears sagged, and Jason looked defiant, ready to argue as Kiba continued.
“Therefore, you will be banished to the human world, where you will be required to act as our ambassador, assisted by Jason if he should want the job."
Blue's tail wagged, and he and Jason shared a look of relief and excitement. There was a twinkle of humour in Kiba's eyes, and Josie grinned. She had suggested the idea; Jason didn't seem to be ready to embrace a medieval lifestyle, and Blue was fascinated by everything human. It seemed like the obvious solution.
Josie shook Smith's hand, still unsure whether that was his real name. Fare-welling the party of three humans and a canine, with their escort of canine guards, was her first official duty.
“I'm still not comfortable with your behaviour", she said.
“We were just trying to fool the canines into showing us the technology. You don't think we would actually have hurt anyone, do you?"
Josie didn't really know what to think, but she was prepared to let bygones be bygones.
“I guess we'll be hearing more from you soon!"
He nodded. “I'll have to consult with my superiors on how to proceed, but we'll be in contact."
Josie watched as the party set off along the cobbled road towards the river, from where they would turn towards the mountains and the ancient gate pedestal hidden behind the tumbling waterfall. There was a lot to do; they would need to build a proper road up to the gate, and establish a barracks for gate security. It was a new project, and Josie was excited to see how relations between the two worlds would develop. She hoped she was up to the task. Kiba stood beside her, and she reached down and stroked his velvety ears. They'd be doing it together.
But first, she thought, we need to import some coffee!