Dog Gone (11)
Dog Gone 11 By Roofles
My legs still felt like jelly. I couldn't even wiggle my toes. Yet I could feel the cold cement beneath me, the scratchy dirt on it that rubbed against my cheek and taste it in my mouth as I breathed slowly. Evenly. At least I was alive. Mostly, anyways.
My mouth tasted like ash. Must've been a side effect from whatever drug he dosed me with. At least my thoughts were back. Under my control. Yet they felt...sluggish, slow. As if I was mentally retarded. Interesting feeling...a real insight of how things are for some people. Interesting...
"What a pain," I grumbled pushing myself up. Once more I found myself in chains. An extra piece hung off from the set. It looked like a metal muzzle. The cuffs on my hands and legs were larger than the previous ones had been. I just tucked my thumb inwards a bit and it didn't take much work to slip out of the ones on my wrists. They didn't think this through very well. Yet my legs, unable to move, would be stuck in them for some time I imagine.
There was the sound of static before a chorus of instruments sounded around whatever room I found myself in. I looked up to see on the opposing wall a screen display. The lights flicked off and as if I were in a movie theater I watched a clip slowly begin to roll an play.
"Greetings to you all would be residence! An welcome to New Haven! The world of your tomorrow!" The screen panned out looking over the city from before. The video must've been old as I could see the outlines of the tape on the edges of the film. It was black and white. And was very old styled cartoony; even the sun in the sky had a face as it bobbed back and forth with a large smile.
"New Haven is the perfect would be town for any and all! Rules have been removed and only good will remains." The cartoony guy through away a book that read rules on it and was bobbing up and down with a female in a sun dress. Their legs looked like rubber as they sprung up and down on them. "A place where no one is in control. Everyone is equal. There is no higher power or god." They threw away the bible, burned down a church and held hands as they smiled wordlessly. "Science is what dictates man. Which will bring us all to a brighter, newer tomorrow! Your tomorrow."
The clip stopped cutting quickly and I heard the flapping of the old projector from the next room.
"We started back in the 30s even before the war began. Or rather my father did." The gentleman said flicking the lights back on. There were the two dogs from before in the room each with a semi assult rifle, dressed in the same uniform as the soldiers had been. But they had blank, expressionless looks on their face. Their eyes seemed dead... "They knew the war was going to happen and decided rather than try to stop man's folly they would build a place for the brightest of mines to shine. Free of the laws that held them back. Principles, ethics thrown out the window so that scientific progress could insue."
"Fascinating." I mocked looking at him. I couldn't move my legs and my whole body felt tired. I seemed to be in some kind of primitive cage. The bars sprung up out of the cement and stuck into the ceiling like something I'd seen at the zoo. A caged, wild animal. At least I wasn't locked in here with him, now that would've been bad.
"Indeed it was. The greatest of minds threw away the rest of humanity for their own selfish ends. To sate their morbid curiosities. It's truly an...inspiration for the rest of us." He touched his chest looking up and beyond as if truly reveling in the moment.
I looked at the two dogs. One was a husky, the other a malamute. They defiantly looked like soldiers. Standing motionless like statues. Looking up with raised heads not even seeming to listen to our conversation. The didn't move. Twitch. Flick their ears or wag their tails...
"Don't worry about them," he noted walking over to one of them and patting it's face. He pulled a wipe from his pocket and cleaned his hand afterwards. "They aren't like the savages you've met before. These are the perfect soldiers. They have no real will of their own. I mean after all," he shook his head as he took his glasses off to clean them. "What were we thinking of giving those brutes the intellect of man. Prometheus." He said the world with envy. "Would be ashamed of us."
"You make it sound as if I should know who that is." I rolled my eyes.
"The titan that created man from clay? That gave fire to man? He can be credited to everything we have now. An inspiration for us to follow. Striving for knowledge above all else. Even opposing the gods themselves!"
"At what cost?" I noted looking between the two dogs. Lifeless lumps of hollow skin and bone. Empty creatures that couldn't even have an opinion of their own. "What generation is that?" I asked aloud though I didn't expect an answer. I felt...pity for them. As if they had been castrated both in body and mind.
"Oh? So you know of the Gens. then? That does save time. This is our eighth Gen. Beautiful aren't they?" He reached out to touch that face again but pulled back as if he were at a museum, unallowed to touch the art. Looking at it with a mix of love, admiration and disgust.
"Messed up is more like it." My voice was bitter. It clung to my throat as if I had taken a spoonful of molasses. The ashy taste in my mouth lingered even more so after every word I choked out.
"Sorry about that." He turned to face me. He knelt down a bit to get more on eye level but kept just high enough above me to make it clear what position I was in. "The drug is still rather...experiemental. Thanks for testing it. If you have any side effects make sure to let me know so I can keep track."
"Well at the moment I'm seeing a giant douche in front of me."
"Funny." He stood back up and motioned to one of the dogs. It came over like a robot. Every step it took was preprogramed in and already set. "Make sure he doesn't leave." The good doctor said. He looked back at me and that look in his eyes sent a shiver down my spine. It was a look of disdain; as if I was nothing but a worm on the ground. A giant fat slug he had almost stepped on and ruined his nice shoes.
"As you wish, doctor." The dog said saluting. It's voice was even more fake than his apperance was. I wouldn't have been surprised if under that fur was an actual robot.
The door shut behind him and I was left in silence. Even if I wasn't alone I might as well have been. The room was simple. A hole in the wall that had a lense pocking out for the old projector I could only assume. There was a table in the corner with a piece of paper and pencil. More of a desk really as if he expected me to take notes. The two guards standing on each side of the room and the bar cage I was in. There was a single door, no windows an the air was stale. There wasn't any flow in this room and I half expected us to begin sufficating shortly as we used up all the oxygen.
"Here doggie, doggie, doggie." I offered a hand trying to coax the nearest one over. It didn't even look or flinch. "Snob." I laid back. "So what brings you around these parts?" No reply of course. "I'm trying to find myself." I inspected my nails I spoke. "Traveling the country side. Becoming one with nature or something or other like that."
I looked over. Neither one even seem to notice I was there. "You know I have a dog like you. He's better looking though. Way more friendly. Funny too. Has that sexy swagger about him as he struts around the room always chasing my balls. And what a set he had on him. Big handful of a set. Could play the bongo drums on them." I laughed sitting up again.
I rubbed one leg and then the other trying to bring life back into them. They felt warm but I couldn't feel my hands touching one leg or the other. Numb from the waist down. I couldn't even feel my junk. It sucked thinking of Brutus and unable to feel a stir, what was I? Straight?
"What an ass as well. I'm going to motor boat that thing when we're out of here." I stared intently at my big toe. "Wiggle your big toe." It didn't work and I slumped back down. "So...am I suppose to be a sheep? I like to think of myself more as a...ram. A strong headed leader. Then Brutus could be my sheep dog, ha. That'd be a sight...hm... Well I guess I know what I'm going for halloween. Do you guys have halloween? Nah, nutless dogs don't."
I twiddled my thumbs. "What do you do if you don't got nuts? I mean what a waste. No point in licking yourself if you can't even feel anything. What a waste..." I wonder how much violence could be prevented if humans could do that. After a long day just stick your head between your legs and relax. "Before you got neutered so I wouldn't expect-,"
"Shut up!" One of them snapped turning and growling at me. "Don't you ever just shut up? I mean come on! Talking about licking yourself and motor boating your dogtoy and just one thing after another. Damn," the husky was looking at me and the malamute was looking at him. The husky had an almost blue tint to his gray fur.
The rifle swung into his paws and he aimed without even looking and fired. The malamute hit the wall, slowly sliding down it with blood trailing behind. "I mean really. I don't give a shit what you do in your free time but leave my poor ears out of it." He growled slinging the rifle over his shoulder and heading towards the other dog. He rummaged through the dogs uniform before pulling out a set of keys.
He walked back over. "I mean really! I have to save your ass already. I don't want to listen to some human talk about his would be sex life. And yes," the dog said as he fiddled with the lock. "I do touch myself. I lick there every damn night 'cause the fucktards in charge decided it would be best to make a bunch of male dogs and leave out the females."
I watched as he ripped the door open and approached me. He knelt down fiddling with the locks on my legs for a few seconds before pulling them off. "Son of a fricking biscuit eating ball chaser." He turned around looking around before slumping his shoulder with a sigh. "Now I got to carry your ass out of here before Dr. whateverhisnameis comes back."
"What's your name?" I asked and his ears jumped up. He looked down at me, glaring coldly.
"Funny." He nealt down getting right in my face. "They call me Biscuit." I forced myself not to smile at that, wondering if he made a sexual comment from before. "Now then I don't want to do this but rules are rules and I gotta do what I gotta do."
He turned his back and looked over his shoulder. "Well? What are you waiting for?"
"A hug?" I replied shrugging. I think my mind was still fuzzy. I was taking this far better then I would've thought. I scooted closer dragging my legs before wrapping my arms around his neck.
He flinched at my touch growling low. I stopped at that. "Look I don't like this anymore than you do." I said. "But you got to do what you got to do." I used his own words which only seemed to hammer the nail further into the board.
"You haven't even asked why I'm helping you." He noted with a raised eyebrow. His facial expression were so vivid and lifely now, unlike before. He really was a good actor I had to admit. I didn't think a dog could control themselves so well.
"Like I give a damn?" I hugged his neck tightly as he slowly got to his feet. He grabbed one of my legs and hoisted me up a bit more. The rifle was in the other hand as he began walking. "I rather be stuck with you any day than that prick." I motioned to the guy who left.
"Heh, he is a douche...what's a douche?" He asked looking at me from the corner of his eyes.
"I'll tell you another time." I mumbled as I rested my head on that shoulder, closing my eyes. The fur felt soft against my cheek. It wasn't as soft as Brutus's was though. More coarse, needed a good wash. An that musky tinge just didn't have the right smell too it. But it wasn't bad. Resting against his muscle body was nice, let me reminisce about a better time.
I could feel his body relax as my voice cut off and silence grew around us like a fog on the moors. Maybe he just prefered that I had finally shut up. But I liked to believe, for the time being, that he had that comfort of another. Then again maybe it was just my own neediness making me feel biased on the whole situation at hand.
"Do you know a Brutus?" I asked as if the dog was some kind of species. He was one of a kind. Silence greeted me so I opened my eyes.
We had left the room and had been standing in the doorway. It looked as if he was trying to make up his mind between left and right. It looked like we were in an observatory. There was a large telescope in the middle of the room but the cieling was closed off and from the angle it was pointed at it looked as if it was looking down rather than up. There was even a seat at the top. Thoughts crossed my mind that it could have been a microscope. Just far larger than was necessary and yet looking at it further I could see the wear and tear of age across it. This piece of equipment was far older than I was and I highly doubted it was used nowadays. Before it might've been an extremly advance piece of equipment.
We were on a skywalk up above. A staircase to the side led down several flights to the floor far below. There was another door up here at the end of the walkway. There was so much vast empty space around us. My grip tightened around his neck and I closed my eyes again. I had never been good with heights. Huh, funny... I don't ever remembering being afraid of heights before. Before I was...was...?
"Easy does it." He spoke softly, in a low growl. My eyes felt heavy, my vision was cloudy and my legs tingled. "It's going to be a bit rough road ahead." He sounded very far away and it felt like I was having a bad case of vertigo. We were moving...I think? Was he still standing still? It felt like we were moving.
I ralphed the next second and he quickly set me to the side. I kept my eyes tightly shut as it felt like I was puking my innerards out. I felt several pains through my legs and I was on my side gasping for air as I scratched mercilessly at the ichiness of them. I could feel blood on my hands as my nails dug into my skin.
"Easy there, easy." A voice coaxed above me. Someone was holding my wrists. The fingers felt strong. The pads soft.
"Brutus?" I asked as my vision blurred and I lost focus on whoever it was above me. "It hurts..." My voice seemed distance as if it was coming far away. My whole world seemed to be slipping away except the building pain as my insides twisted, my legs felt on fire and the taste of ash filled my mouth.
"Sh, I know. It'll be alright. Everything will be...alright..." I reached up to touch that face. Feel the fur on its cheeks and whiskers on it's muzzle. Before I began to sieze. Foaming at the mouth and blacking out.
Even before I opened my eyes, I groaned at the light above. The headache I had felt like someone was drilling a hole inside my skull. Shooting pains in all direction and even breathing made me wish I were dead. I never had a migrane before but I was sure this was what it must've felt like. I groaned again, louder trying to move my legs so I could sit up. But they felt heavy and warm as if someone had wrapped them in fleece blankets.
Something cool hit my lips and I gagged a bit as water was force down my throat. A strong hand rubbed my throat forcing me to swallow. I coughed, the liquid ran down the sides of my face. It tasted far worst than water ever did. It tasted a lot like baby formula. Not to say I know what that tastes like...it just...what I imagined it would taste like. It felt grainy. Watery but sandy at the same time making me smack my lips several times afterwards trying to get it out of my mouth...
My tongue traced along my teeth that were far too many to count. Licking the top of my roof I felt back along that long ceiling that had to have been someone elses... Wrinkled my nose and folded my ears and opened my eyes...
And screamed bloody murder. Tumbling to the side, twisting up on my own legs as my feet were far too...slanted for any real traction. Like walking on the toes of your foot. Not like a ballet dancer either but the toes and the end of your foot. The heel arching upwards and...and...
A whine escaped me. A low animal like whine. It virberated in my throat as I looked behind me. At the long white furred legs with a black countershading pattern with trims of brown patches on the edge and through that white fur. Running my hand down that leg I stopped. My breath quickened as I pulled that paw back looking at it in freak horror. Fully white gloved and as I slowly turned it over my heart seemed to stop. Pink skin between the fingers before breaking off into dark gray paw pads. Five smaller ones, one for each finger and thumb, and a large fat center one taking up my whole palm. My nails were longer and thicker than before. It would be a pain to trim them...
I brought both hands...they were still hands right? To my face and felt it. The cheeks covered in fur. Down that long muzzle jutting from my skull and agaisnt the whiskers, which was very irritating; to that wet, textured nose. I took a sharp breath through it and a whole new world lit up before me. Every smell might as well have a color to it. So distinct and overpower that I coughed shaking my head back and forth, still breathing...panting heavily. I swallowed loudly as I traced a paw up to my head. Pulling on the large flap of ears and another whine escaped me as I sobbed.
"Your doing far better than some of the others." A male voice said above me. I didn't even need to look as I took another sniff more out of...instinct than on purpose. The same scent as before. Of the husky. "I know it's hard to believe, but things are going to be ok. Well physically speaking." His voice trailed off and I looked up at him.
The colors seemed blur and I was forced to squint before really seeing that it was him. My vision hadn't gotten worst it was that colors themselves were less vivid. His fur had been an almost dark cobalt blue, faint but clear enough in that gray fur. Now it was impossible to see that. Yet squinting seemed to help at first and as I slowly opened my eyes color seem to pour back into reality and I could see it again. My eyes felt hot though, they watered up a bit and I was forced to blink several times. Bringing a hand to my head I asked in a hoarse voice. "Did.. this happen to you, too?"
"Good to see your able to remember me. Or at least I think you do..." He nealt down placing a paw on my shoulder. It didn't feel as heavy but I could feel it between my fur as he gripped my shoulder giving me a reassuring shake.
"Biscuit and gravy, right?" I laughed a bit out of exhaustion more than anything else.
"Ha. Funny. Glad to see you do though." He took a seat, crossing his legs. "It did happen to me. I used to be one of the smucks working here."
I looked at him my ears jumping up...
"A grunt. A soldier only. Apparently they ran out of test subjects one day and decided to bring a bunch of us in. "Hey, why don't we round up the gang and stick 'em full of this unknown chemical agent and see what happens?" Brilliant," he rolled his eyes shaking his head and leaned against the mattress I had been on. An old worn beat up thing.
My muscles and body felt sore and so I just rested my head against it. It was..easier than sitting up. My whole chest and stomach felt wierd, different.
"They put an ad in the paper. Saturday the nineteenth. I remember that clearly on top of the Morning Press. "Seeking security for a new pharmicy. Males only. Age 20-40. No prior experience required. Full benefits. Fifteen an hour." Too good to be true." He laughed coldly, as he shook his head. He looked down at me before turn and lounging out a bit resting his head a next to mine, twiddling his thumbs.
"How did this happened?" I croaked out. I thought I was going to cry but my eyes only got watery.
"Drugged you. Dosed you and locked you in that cage waiting to see what would happen." He replied flatly. His muzzle fell to the side and he looked at me a bit bored with a mild curiosity. "I've never seen a species like yours."
"Thanks." I growled and he seemed to smile at that.
He traced a finger on my chest. Bringing his thumb up to rub my cheek and eyebrow. "White and black is rather common from what I've seen but these brown marks are a unique touch. Adds personality." He laughed at that. "Your taking this far better than I did. I had been trying to gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon by now if I was in your shoes...figuratively that is." He laughed turning back to face the wall before us. "...That was the last date I remember." His eyes seemed to get lost staring off into a time and place years ago. "The last day. Saturday the nineteenth. It's kind of funny. I remember a photo on the cabinet. It had a husky in it. A small child was holding it. And now look at me?" He raised a paw above his head and laughed before letting his arm fall over his eyes. "So tell me lover boy," he looked back at me, under that arm. "Who's this Brutus guy you were fawning over only days ago?"
"Days?" I asked sitting up. The force brought back a mild agitated pain in my skull but whatever medicine he gave me worked faster than anything I had taken before...it was medicine right?
"Yeah. About three I reckon. Don't worry." He shook his head sitting up with me. "No one recalls it. It's...for the best." His ears fell back a bit. "The screams are almost unbearable for those around let alone for the one going through it. Your skin rips off like wet toilet paper and your a bleeding mess as you regrow it. Five. Six times, sometimes..." His voice stopped for a second before he continued. "Meanwhile your bones break and reconfigure and muscle and tissue are ripped apart to be sewn back together." He gestured the whole time even though I hadn't asked. "Puking and pooping and leaking out every orifice. Nasty business." He shook his head. "Most go insane because of it all. And half don't survive." He noted looking at me again. "Your lucky. Then again the whole thing was a little different with you. More...simple."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked leaning on my arm again glad that the pounding headache had substantially lessened.
"Well usually it's done in a giant vat." He stretched his arms out as if to show the size. "But bigger." He made sure to note pointing a finger at me and glaring before breaking into a smile again. "There are like these robotic arms that keep injecting you over and over with different stuff," he made several sounds as he moved his arms as if they were those robotic arms. "Injecting and peeling the skin off in stripes. The vat is constantly refilling with that green liquid too. Smells and tastes horrible," I wasn't sure if he was joking or not. "But the thing was that didn't happen with you."
He looked at me as if I was the strange one here. As if I was the one waving my arms around and making robotic beep boop nosing as I pinched my fingers together.
"You just...began right there and then." He nodded to the side.
"In the room?" I asked looking past him to the corner. We were in some bunker like room. Cement walls and floor with a desk and chair, a foot locker and bed. I didn't even need to smell the bed to tell that this was his room. It was kind of clear.
"No, on the walkway." He gestured back over his shoulder again with his muzzle as if again pointing it out was the easier way to show me. "You just began freaking out. Ripping your skin off and just-,"
"STOP." I raised a hand silencing him. "No more. Please." I rubbed my belly. "I don't think I can hear anymore."
"Well yeah. It's not a pretty sight. The clothes you didn't tear through I just threw away. So many body fluids on them."
"Ok, ok. I trust you. I trust you." I said cutting him off before he could go any further.
"So..." He nosed at me a bit. "Who's this Brutus guy?"
I cocked an eyebrow looking at him. And shook my head. "How would I know?"
"Hm..." He scratched his chin. "You kept crying out for him the whole time. Was...pathetic." I winced at that. "Brutus. Brutus!" He moaned and called out swooning back and forth before I hit him square in the gut. He keeled over coughing a few times. I really didn't mean to hit him that hard, I guess I didn't know my own strength.
"Was...just...joking..." He coughed looking up at me with a weak smile. He was still rubbing his gut.
"Sorry. Didn't think I'd hit you that hard." I looked at my hand. Flexing my fingers into a fist several times. I could feel the muscles tighten in my arms and felt almost strong enough to punch a hole in the cement wall. The notion made me smile. "Hadouken!!" I punched out with a laugh.
He raised those pointed ears up and looked at me. "What?"
"I haven't a clue," I laughed. My thoughts were there. It seemed to have made sense. But...I couldn't recall where it was from. What it was even. It just...felt appropriate. "Why can't I remember anything?" I asked more to myself than him. I looked at my hand. I knew it wasn't suppose to be like this. Supposed to be so...fuzzy. And yet I couldn't even recall what it used to look like. How was I suppose to be. As far as I knew maybe just the coloring was off...and yet It felt and looked so strange, foreign. Alien.
"Most don't. Just be glad you aren't one of the ferals." He nodded at that. "They're like us," he answered even before I had asked. He seemed to have a habit of doing that. " But their mind is loco." He spun his finger next to his head. The gesture wasn't lost on me. I knew what that was, what it meant. And yet I couldn't recall how or why I knew it. "Crazy bastards. They only ever eat, sleep and well try and procreate." He shivered at that. "Horrible things. Poor bastards. I rather be dead than like that."
"Things don't really...click. I know things. But I don't know why I know them." I looked back at my hand. It was a hand I decided. It seemed to fit better, made me feel better. A comfort, if only a small one. "And yet even I understand I rather be like this anyday than a slave to my emotions. To be but an animal." I rubbed my legs. Feel the coarse guard fur on top and the soft fur underneath. My fur was a lot softer than his was. Fresh and new after all...my fur, huh? That seemed so..wierd.
"From what Alpha tells us its because it makes us easier to control. Without memories we're a clean slate to write over and do with as they please..." He shrugged and looked at me, staring really. "Well I doubt you want to strut around all naked like," he said jumping to his feet with an uncanny grace that would take me years to master. The thought of walking on my nearly found feet was soon overruled by the simple fact that I was, in fact, naked.
I covered my shame. Both hands were needed. I was...larger than I remembered. Then again I couldn't even really remember.
"One plus." He noted walking over to the foot locker and began searching through it. Tossing several different pairs of cloths out of it onto the matresss. "We are a lot more...endowed than normal. Down there."
"I don't follow." I looked up at him and he looked at me lowering his eyebrows.
"Your cock is larger." He said bluntly.
"Dude...that's gay." An unsettling silence fell around us before we both started laughing as if we were old friends. This whole thing was messed up and even trying to stand on my feet was a chore even if my legs seemed far stronger. It was more of a balance issue. No wonder why animals walk on all fours I thought as I tredding on thin ice standing for the first time.
"Funny really," he said shutting the locker slowly. "From what I hear humans have one of the largest dicks alive. In comparison to body size that is. Most animals are much smaller than their actual body is," he shrugged. "Makes me almost jealous." The way he spoke...it was as if he had given up ever becoming human...
I looked down at my hand again. The five pads on it with traces of fur between them. The light pink skin between my fingers. Each finger had a pawpad on it and the palm had a rather large one. My wrist fur was lessened before it creapt up my arms growing fluffier and fluffier as it went. I wondered if it would just be easier to give up on being human? I didn't even know what a human really was. But I knew I didn't want to lose it, my humanity.
My ears jumped as a cloth jock strap hit my face. I peeled it off and without even thinking took a whiff of it. Coughing and gasping for air as I covered my nose pulling it away from me. It stunk of the husky. And now was clinging to my facial fur. I glared at him holding the foul object, still trying not to fall. "The hell!"
He was holding his gut as he laughed looking at me. My ears had folded down as I glared. I really had no control over those buggers. He pointed at me and said between laughs, "the look on your face! haha," he spun around falling back onto the matress still laughing.
I looked down at him and did something rather stupid. I was naked, standing above him and he thought it was funny to hit me with an old, used jock strap. So...I kind of teabagged him.
He yiped loudly jumping up and flipping out waving his arms around before growling and pointing at me. "You did not just do that!"
"Not that big of a difference," I said sitting on my knees and twirling the jockstrap around on my finger. "I mean it's the same thing really just a different mode of transportation was all." I laughed and for the first time felt my tail wag. I looked over my shoulder at the strange thing behind me. It curled up a bit at the end and just like my ears I seemed to have no control of my own over it as it wagged away.
He growled low the fur on his neck slowly falling back down. "Fine. No more teabagging or jockstrapping." He huffed wiping his face off several times. "Hurry up and put those on. We got things to do."
I narrowed my eyes. "Do what now?"
"Oh." He turned around and pulled out a scarf that had been tucked behind the footlocker. "This was yours. It was the only thing I was able to save." He offered the black middle, rainbow end scarf. I took it and brought it up about to put it on when my nose hit it. The smell lingered of me. Old me that was. Of the husky that had carried it. And a smell that finally made the tears run down my face.
"Brutus." Oh so that's who he was...