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Counter Earth Chronicles

Chapter 49: Nothing Important Happened Today

Day 148

"Over there!" I said pointing to my fierce ursine warrior as she descended her hover bike.

"Pet do you know why Mara asked us to meet her here at this abandoned quarry?"

"Yes mistress I think I do." I replied smiling.

"And?"

"You are being brought into the loop- finally."

"You mean the top secret project Mara and Sir Ram have been working on?"

"Yes mistress."

I noticed that since Chemar and I had last been here five days ago- the quarry had been cleaned up and some what reorganized. There was even another hover car there- a beat up black one that looked like it had seen better days. Its interior was stripped with the exception of two seats, seat belts, helmet and a steering column.

"Alex." My warrior bear called out to me as I finished my visual inspection.

I started back to Lady Ursa's hover bike just as our guest of the hour was arriving in the prototype.

"So that is it? A blue coupe?"

"Not exactly." I said grabbing her paw. "This is a weapon disguised as a blue coupe. Sir Ram and Mara created it after our run in with the Animalita at Pyramid Bank."

"Really?" She said crossing her arms laughing. "Doesn't look like much."

"This vehicle has armaments that far exceed those on the hover bikes. It also has incredible surveillance equipment for spying on enemies. After the initial prototype was destroyed, Mara had Chemar and myself extensively test the second prototype."

"How did it perform?" My fierce ursine warrior asked.

"Very well!" Mara said as she stepped out of the vehicle. "Greetings Lady Ursa and my favorite test subject. How are the two of you doing on this fine summer morning?"

"Actually wondering why you called us here Mara." I said to the wicked goat lady.

"Further testing."

"Really?"

"I have a few more devices I wanted to test- on you. I also thought it would be a good time to bring your master into the fold as well. Come my lady let me formally introduce you." Mara said escorting my she beast.

As they sat down in the prototype's interior I walked over. "Um what do you want me to do Mara?"

"A little role-playing test subject. See the black sedan over there?"

"Yes?"

"You are going to play the criminal trying to get away."

"But Mara, I don't know the first thing about driving a hover vehicle!" I said.

"Don't worry boy. That vehicle can't fly it is stuck in its land configuration. I want you to try to get away. Ursa and I will try to stop you. Non-lethally."

"That sounds like quite the challenge." I said to the wicked she beast. "How are you going to do that without using the wicked nasties on the prototype?"

"That is why we are here testing today boy. Besides while you're fleeing, I will be giving your master a run down of the prototype's weaponry. Remember to buckle up and to use the helmet." She sneered.

(This might actually be fun.)

So I jumped into the black sedan. Put on a helmet, the seat belt, started up the vehicle and drove around the quarry like I was rebel desperate to get away from them.

Mara activated the hover mode of the prototype and started after me. Hover car chasing after land car really was no contest. She matched the black sedan move for move whether I turned right, or left. Sped up or slowed down.

After a moment she deactivated the hover mode returning it to the ground for a good old fashioned car chase.

Give it up evil doer you can't escape!

Mara said using the PA system of the prototype. I assumed she was showing my mistress the standard options that came with the blue coupe.

Just then I heard a whirring noise. It was the side-pods of the prototype opening and the crosshair locking on to the vehicle.

This was going to be interesting how could she stop the black sedan without destroying it? That excluded all of the offensive weaponry on the prototype. There was always the tractor hook I suppose.

The answer came very quickly. I saw two large balls of what looked like electricity fire from the side-pods fire at the black sedan. The moment of their impact an electrical field moved through the vehicle Instantly killing the engine. The vehicle died and came to a complete stop.

Mara and Lady Ursa pulled up and ordered me out of the car.

Give up pet! We just might go easy on you!

Now my she beast was getting into the act.

I opened the driver side door of the sedan just in time to have a foot band fire from the prototype wrapping itself around my legs causing me to fall on the ground. I heard laughter coming from the both of them. I was then caught in a small net which dragged me toward them and the prototype.

"This vehicle could be quite useful!" My mistress said to the goat lady.

"So what do you think test subject?" Mara approached me smirking.

"Nice improvements. So when are you going to give this vehicle over to the knights for field trials?" I asked Mara candidly.

"When its ready." She said to me. "Those weapons I used on you were the static pulse which disables the electrical systems on a target, the bola which binds enemy limbs and the web, which nets a target. All nonlethal. Yes, I know I'm good." She said proudly cutting me out of the net.

"There is just one problem." My lady bear interjected.

Mara and I stared at the ursine warrior.

"If the static pulse is used on targets while they are airborne wouldn't that cause the them to fall from the sky killing the occupants?!"

(Damn, she had a point there!)

Hearing that the goat lady turned beet red as she realized her mistake.

Just then Lady Ursa's communicator sounded off. It was Lord Tiger.

"I am here Commander." She said.

"How are you on this wonderful sunny Saturday morning Ursa?"

"On call Commander." My she beast responded.

"Well I have a mission for you- a change of pace from what we have been doing as of late." The tiger warrior said to his subordinate.

"Grrrr alright. But why now sir?"

"Sir Ram developed a counter measure to the Animalitia's sonic weapon which is being deployed everywhere. The Liberate Counter Earth Now movement has been all but destroyed- Commander Rhinox, Commander Gator and Sir Wolf's forces are hunting down the remaining members and the Animalitia is on the run. The master is pleased. In short the pressure has lessened." The he beast said. "So I am giving you a new assignment."

"What is that?" I asked.

"Morning Alex." The tiger warrior said. "I want you to find an archeologist. She was investigating a settlement near World Four and World Five and has gone past the amount of time she was allotted to be away from this civilization and the empire. I want you to find her and bring her back."

"Acknowledged Lord Tiger." My she beast said.

"Don't forget to take the necessary provisions and be forewarned she is a bit eccentric." The Commander of the Knights of Wundagore said before ending the communication.

"Looks like I have another mission pet." My she beast said placing her paw on my shoulder."

"Can I come mistress? We haven't had an outing together in some time because of all the craziness going on. Besides I don't mind even if it is another mission."

"Hmm, you have changed." My lady bear cackled. "I remember a time when you cowered at the word."

"Let's just say I have started to realize what is really important. Mara are we finished here?" I said to the goat lady as she regained her composure.

She nodded.

"I get it. That is why you test, test and retest extensively." I said to her. "I guess for the time being the prototype will have to use the tractor hook if it wants to stop a airborne vehicle it is pursuing. Regardless it is an outstanding weapon."

"It just needs a better name instead of prototype." My warrior bear said as we walked back toward the hover bike.

With that we said good bye to Mara who was still embarrassed about her slight oversight. The static pulse weapon was a good non-leathal weapon but only on land based vehicles.

Lady Ursa and I returned to Castle Wundagore- left her hover bike and picked up a transport vehicle, grabbed some supplies for what we thought would be a day trip and headed out.

"Like old times." I said to her as we headed toward the archeologist's location.

"Hmm?" She said.

"The last time I was with you in a transport vehicle we were headed to the prairie to retrieve the Legend family who had violated the Settlement Statute."

"Our mission this morning is quite similar pet." My she beast said.

"How so mistress?"

"Our target is a archeologist who is living away from civilization just like the Legends were. In this case that person is living at a archeological site in the wilderness between Worlds Four and Five."

"For how long?"

"A year and a half. She has begged and pleaded the empire to grant her an extension each season which we have for the last four. But apparently her luck has run out and no more extensions will be offered. So we are going to have to drag her back to civilization whether she wants to come or not."

"Let me guess, if she does not come willingly she faces punishment?"

"Exactly." Lady Ursa said.

It took us about three hours to arrive at the archeological site the professor was excavating. As we landed the transport vehicle I was amazed that it was a literal hole in the ground surrounded by nothing but wilderness.

"Nice area- remote, isolated away from everything. Just like the last time." I said emerging from the transport vehicle.

"Unlike last time pet- there won't be any inclement weather." My lady bear said pulling out her tracking device. "The professor's signal is that way."

So we carefully descended into the hole into the ground which dropped us down into a well lit large tunnel. We followed it and the signal a quarter of a mile to the north where we found her.

"Professor?" Lady Ursa said addressing a woman in brown blazer and shorts who was wearing a traditional archeological hat. She appeared to be slightly younger then me and was using some type of detection equipment.

"Yes who wants to know?" The woman said turning our direction.

(OMG! She beared more then a striking resemblance to my sister Alexandria! Was this her doppleganger on this world?!)

"Lady Ursa. I am a..."

"Greetings madam knight." The professor said bowing respectfully.

(Interesting, she isn't cowering in fear.)

"You are in violation of the Settlement Statue. You are to return with us at once."

"But wait, I put in a request for extension." She said returning to her feet.

"It, like the last few have been denied." My she beast said.

"Damn. Madam knight please! I understand that I am in violation of the law. I am just asking for a little leniency."

"You have been asking for that with each extension you have requested." My she beast said looking at her communicator.

"Madam Ursa I know I have been at this site far too long without producing any results hell, my team has been forcibly called back- but I feel I am on the cusp of a major, major breakthrough. Something extremely big."

"What type of breakthrough?" I asked.

"My scans are hinting that there is more here than what we are physically seeing now. I am just asking, begging for a little flexibility." The archeologist said kneeling at Lady Ursa's paws.

"The empire has been more than flexible professor. You have been here a year and a half with nothing to show for it. I am sorry but your time is up. You will becoming with us!"

Hearing that professor Stern glommed on to my she beast's leg!

"I will comply madam knight. I just need more time."

"No!" My warrior bear said as she started to head out of the tunnel despite the archeologist's pleading.

"Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please!"

(Yeah, Lord Tiger was right the professor was quite eccentric.)

Lady Ursa literally dragged the professor back to the transport vehicle kicking and screaming. I almost cracked up at the site I was seeing. The human female begged and pleaded for more time with my Knight of Wundagore while holding on to her leg.

As my she beast was about to stuff our violator into the transport vehicle, I decided to scan the archeologist's tracking chip using Lady Ursa's tracking device.

"Hmm...."

"What is it pet?" My ursine warrior said as she finally plucked the professor from her leg and was holding her by the scruff of her blazer.

"Professor Dawn Stern. Age 19 one of the most preeminent experts on Counter Earth Civilizations present and past. A prodigy and one of the youngest humans to ever peruse a Superior Degree in the archeology field. Generally supportive of the empire, likes beastials and is a admirer of yours." I said reading the display.

"Me?!" Lady Ursa said.

"She has an affinity for bears- beastial and the quadrupedal type."

My warrior bear looked at me and then professor Stern who she was about to shove into the transport vehicle. The woman smiled and nodded.

"She said that should would comply- she is just pleading for more time. What do you say we give her just a little more time mistress?"

My she beast growled as she thought about it for a moment.

"Besides I think you could use a break from hunting rebels and mercenaries. Remember she likes bears. I do too." I said making puppy dog eyes at the two of them.

"Flattery will get you..." My warrior bear started to say to Ms. Stern.

"Please just a little more time madam knight?" She smiled. "You two can even assist me."

"Well..." My fierce ursine warrior started to say.

"Great then it is settled!"

She was quickly silenced by a claw tip to her mouth.

"You have the remainder of the weekend to finish exploring this site Ms. Stern. Afterward you will be returning with us." Lady Ursa warned. "At that time I will not listen to any more pleading, abject begging or anything of the like."

"In other words when your time is up, it is up; she will sling you over her shoulder and carry you back to World One." I said to the professor.

"Do we have and understanding?" My she beast said looking her in the eye.

The archeologist nodded it was then that Lady Ursa put her down on the ground.

"Bring the supplies pet. We do not know what we will encounter." My warrior bear said.

"Right mistress." I said picking up the provisions we had brought with us from the back of the transportation vehicle.

Professor Stern also had a similar idea.

"What's this?" Lady Ursa asked.

"They are shovels. I can move much faster with a crew supporting me. Especially one that includes the third strongest knight in all of Counter Earth."

"Fine human." My mistress groaned.

So with both of us carrying supplies we followed the blond female back into the ground and back down the tunnel we had found her in.

Professor Stern picked back up the scanner she had been using and returned to scanning the walls, floor and ceiling of the tunnel.

"There is something more here than this tunnel, I just know it. There has to be."

In the mean time my she beast and I looked at the artifacts that she discovered the year and a half that she had been excavating the site. They were mostly every day items from a long time ago- plates, bowls, a chairs.

"So this is an ancient site? Not much to see here." I commented.

"I stumbled on this place two years ago while on break from my education. Rather, the artifacts. I started digging and found this tunnel well made and well preserved. It took me about three months to get permission and to find a crew to start excavating."

"You have been here all this time and the only thing you have to show for it are this tunnel and some artifacts?" Lady Ursa said indignantly. "This was your basis for you repeated extensions?"

"Yes my lady. This place is the remnants of some structure, perhaps an outpost of some sort from a very long time ago."

"How long ago?" I asked Ms. Stern.

"At least 500 years, probably more." She said to the two of us. "But this is only a portion. It would help if there were some clues, a mural, a diary, a map pointing us in the right direction. Hey wait. I haven't noticed that before." Professor Stern said moving her scanner to a corner of the tunnel.

"What is it?" Lady Ursa asked.

"This point here is weak." She said tapping on the wall. "You two! Could you please start digging here?" The female archeologist said as she grabbed her back pack.

I held the shovel to the tunnel wall and pressed the button on it. Instantly it made a hole through it.

My she beast grabbed a light. The hole lead into a undiscovered room none of us knew was there.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Dawn said running by us. "I love discoverieeeessss!!!!!"

"Professor Stern!" I shouted as the floor she was standing on buckled in front of us. She disappeared from sight.

"Alex!" My lady bear said.

"Right."

I ran back down the tunnel and found some rope from the professor's supplies. Using it we carefully lowered ourselves into the hole the professor had fallen into.

"Human! Ms. Stern?" Lady Ursa said as she lowered her self into the hole.

"I am ok madam knight it was only a twenty foot drop."

(She survived a twenty foot drop?!)

When I finally joined both females at the bottom of the hole I discovered that it was quite a drop and professor Stern landed on hay bale.

"What is this place?" My warrior bear asked.

"It appears to be a maze and a big one twenty feet underground. The people that built this must have made it for a reason." She said. "Let's start exploring!"

"Is that wise after what you have been through? There may traps." Lady Ursa warned.

"Possibly but I would like to know why this is here and what were they protecting? Wouldn't you? Besides if I get into trouble I have a Knight of Wundagore here to protect me!"

"She has a point about that mistress."

"Don't start pet. Just keep track of our progress."

Lady Ursa and I said as we started to follow.

We followed professor Stern through the maze for an hour although it seemed longer than that because she would stop and examine every nook every cranny, the stone walls the corridors everything.

"Amazing! Such craftsmanship!" Professor Stern exclaimed.

"As long as there aren't any traps. Are you sensing anything Alex?"

I shook my head.

"I am." The professor said. "Between you two. You seem to have an interesting dynamic."

We looked at the archeologist curiously.

"Yes mistress anything you say mistress. Such a good pet." Professor Stern said mimicking us.

"Um about that..." I started to say. *SWIPE* "Hey!" I said as Ms. Stern grabbed the tracking device from my hand and scanned my tracking chip.

"Alex Winter 20 years old and property of Lady Ursa? As in some type of house-pet?"

I stared at her blankly.

"Is it possibly for a beastial to own a human? Now that is an interesting concept!"

"It is true. Lady Ursa adopted me six months ago. I don't have any living relatives and was quite alone." I said to the female.

"So she gave you a home, love and affection?"

"Yes."

"Fascinating! A warrior of Wundagore who has a pet human! I wonder if it is possible the other way around? I wouldn't mind a pet beastial hmm..." She said looking at Lady Ursa. "That fur looks like it would be wonderful to snuggle up to on cold nights!"

"It is as is the rest of her." I blurted out stupidly.

"Very interesting!!!" The archeologist said. "From your tone it sounds like outside of that knight uniform she is quite loving and affectionate. You are nothing but a big soft cuddly bear aren't you madam knight?!"

"Ahem Alex, Ms. Stern, perhaps we should continue exploring." My lady bear said as she placed her paws on both our shoulders directing us to walk.

We continued to walk, back tracking every time we hit a dead end. I continued to map our direction so that when the time came to leave we could find our way back to the rope and above ground.

Our hour long exploration of the maze did not lead us into any booby traps but it did lead to something very interesting.

"Remarkable!!!" Professor Stern said.

"Now that you don't see every day!" I added.

At the center of the maze was an ancient city all underground. Or was it above ground at one time and sank below ground?

"I don't, don't believe what I am seeing!" Lady Ursa exclaimed.

"What? That it is an underground city or that it appears to be well preserved?" The professor asked.

"Both."

The city looked liked it was built within a two mile radius at the center of the underground maze. We saw one story buildings, small shops, restaurants and houses full intact- all abandoned. It was kind of erie and creepy.

"It is going to take a long, long time to catalog all of this." Dawn said walking right up to a house and opening its door. To her amazement it was unlocked.

My warrior bear looked at me for reassurance.

"Nothing." I said.

She then followed the archeologist into the structure.

"Amazing a complete underground civilization abandoned."

Once inside the house the human female started going through the kitchen, then living room and den looking for documentation, periodicals, maps anything with a date on it. In that house we found nothing. We then moved on to the next house, then the next and then a building as we made our way toward the center of the city.

Each structure we encountered had been abandoned. I marveled at how much the city resembled what I had seen on Gaia.

"If I didn't know any better I would say this is Gaia." I whispered to my mistress.

"Ms. Stern perhaps we should try a hall of records or some place that would store documentation." My lady bear suggested.

So we next went to the tallest building in the underground city. It looked like a some sort of city center or hall of records. We found many many books in a library with strange bizarre writing on them. None of us were able to make out what was said. Professor Stern looked through many of the books late into the afternoon and evening trying to relate the strange writing to any language she was familiar with.

"It is getting late. Perhaps we should start back?" I interjected.

"I am fine." The human female said. "Remember you both gave me until the end of the weekend did you not?"

"But what are we going to do for food and water?" I asked.

"I have rations." The professor said.

"What about a change of clothes?" I asked.

"I brought that." Lady Ursa said.

"And this abandoned building would make good shelter. It has been here for a long long time." Ms. Stern said.

"What about facilities- you know if nature calls?"

"I saw that coming in." The archeologist said.

"Let me guess you probably want to sleep here too." I huffed. "But we don't have anything to sleep in."

"I did bring one external large blanket and air cushion."

(There is no way that will accommodate all of us.)

"I think it should accommodate one beastial and two humans."

(Geez!)

So Lady Ursa and I helped the professor study. She looked and tried to read the strange writing by studying as many books as she could find.

We worked late into the evening before bedding down on the air cushion in the library.

"You are right Alex her fur is incredibly soft!!!" The professor said as she snuggled next to my fierce ursine warrior.

"She is incredibly fierce and powerful too." I said from the other side of my she beast.

(Among other things.)

My mistress was a little uncomfortable sharing bed space with another human besides me.

"Professor you seem quite tolerant of my kind why is that?" My lady bear asked the blonde female.

"Well madam knight, I am too young to remember a time when there weren't any animal people on this world. You see, I grew up with beastials. In fact some of my best friends are beastials." The professor said as she snuggled my mistress.

"I agree. Some of my best friends are also beastials." I countered.

"During my archeological research, I have learned that before the empire and beastials came into the being- this world was in chaos. Since the rise of the High Evolutionary the chaos has subsided somewhat with the exception of those that want the empire to end. I believe the empire is a stabilizing force on this world. It has ended hunger and starvation, it next needs to focus on ending poverty and then prejudice and intolerance."

(With enlightened people like the professor, maybe it will.)

"Ms. Stern were you able to learn anything from those publications?" My she beast asked shifting directions.

"I can't be sure madam knight. But some catastrophe befell this city causing the populace to flee. I will need to translate the publications to be sure. I mean we haven't found any thing else save for these books."

And so professor Stern and I snuggled Lady Ursa as we spent the night in the city. My warrior bear snuggled both of back.

The next morning as we were preparing to leave, professor Stern gave us a few books to carry back and then proceeded to seek out a bathroom to answer the call of nature.

"AH HA!!!" She screamed. "Alex! Madam Ursa!!!"

Was she under attack?!

We quickly ran to her aid. We found her in a side room off of the bathroom. In it was a mural that covered the entire wall. The picture depicted a large cloud smothering the city and the populace fleeing in every direction.

When Lady Ursa saw it her jaw dropped open.

"That looks like the giant cloud that hit the five cities two years ago."

"It does." Professor Stern said.

"I heard about that from Tauren, Sorren and Lurie. They called it the phantom cascade, the day of ruin or the giant cloud incident it disabled the five cities for days."

We spent 10- 20 minutes studying the painting. We also realized that the inhabitants shown in the mural fled underground for a time to hide from the cloud.

"Wow! This is my greatest discovery ever!" Professor Stern declared victoriously.

"And no one can ever find out about it!" Lady Ursa said as she looked at the female human.

"But madam knight why?!"

Lady Ursa placed a claw tip to the female human's lips.

"If you or I report what we have discovered today, it is going to create a panic. When word gets back to the master, he will destroy this site to quell the panic and to solidify his reign under the guise that you were mistaken. Do you really want that?"

"But, but it was my greatest discovery ever!!"

"Ms. Stern you are to remain quiet about this. You will come back to World One with us for a time to make it appear that you complied with the law. Eventually you will be allowed to return here to continue your research. When you do, I want you to find out as much as you can about this incident, when it occurred, where the cloud came from, the damage that was done, the possible age of the civilization at the time, and importantly if it is going to happen again, if so when? You are to report back to me and only me."

Professor Stern nodded.

"I think I see where she is coming from. A long time ago this city was probably above ground. It was attacked by that thing and the inhabitants fled underground to hide from it." I said to the archeologist. "Conveying your find would indeed create a panic."

My lady bear continued... "For my part I will find a discreet way for you to circumvent the Settlement Statue and continue your work. But only if you tell NO ONE about this. Do you understand?" My warrior bear asked.

"So you are saying if word leaks out about all of this, I risk having my work and all of my efforts here being destroyed?"

"Maybe even your life." I interjected.

"Wowie! I will comply. However when I am allowed to return, I will need help excavating this site. I can't do it on my own."

"I would suggest you assemble a trusted team to help you excavate. Swear them to secrecy and above all do not tell them about the mural. I would go as far as to even close off this room completely. No one should be allowed to enter it." I said to my sister's doppelganger.

The human female hugged my mistress startling her. I guess Lady Ursa was not accustomed to receiving hugs from any human besides me.

"You are right Alex, this Knight of Wundagore may be just an enforcer, but she is a fair and just one as well.

"Pet, what have you been telling her about me?!" Lady Ursa said staring at me.

"Oh nothing!" I said smiling. "But it looks like we have just made a friend."

Sunday afternoon we returned back to World One and dropped the professor off at her house telling her to try to stay put, stay quiet and to translate those books she found.

That evening as my mistress and I were preparing for sleep I found my she beast deep in thought.

"Penny for your thoughts my warrior bear?"

"I don't understand that expression pet."

"It is an old Gaian expression. It means what is on your mind?"

"I was just thinking about professor Stern's discovery and how long it will take her to find the answers?"

"Well, the key will be deciphering and translating those books she brought back. But without any alphabet or other references it is going to take a long, long time." I said to my she beast.

"I just hope she finds what we seek in time. Do we even have time pet? If so how much?"

(Good questions.)

"I don't know. But she was right about one thing mistress." I said as I crawled atop my fantastic lay.

"What is that Alex?"

"You are nothing but a big soft cuddly bear." I said kissing her.

"Only around you pet." My mistress said kissing me back.

Lady Ursa some how got professor Stern approved again to start another excavation at the site again for another year and a half with the hope that the professor could answer the pivotal questions we needed answered.

More importantly, on that warm sunny summer weekend we learned that the phantom cascade happened in the (distant?) past and the event that happened two years ago to the five cities on Counter Earth was not a fluke. But would it happen again?

As I write this journal two and a half years after the events of that weekend, I am sad to say it did.

To Be Continued....

And so this three chapter arc comes to a close (after the much larger ten chapter arc before it).

Next Week:

The start of another arc and a little tribute to vampire fans everywhere.