New World [PG-13]

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 7:04 pm

New World [PG-13]
Written by Wanderer

This is not intended to be a happy fanfiction. It is not supposed to be "everything was awesome and much better than your life".
The characters in here are all slightly modified to fit the story.
Every character is corrupt or flawed in his/her own way, each with his/her own problems.
At times they may seem childish and contradictory, but it is intentional. Some characters' name are not revealed until later.

TensaZangetsu · Post by **TensaZangetsu** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 7:07 pm

O can't wait to read it!

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 7:32 pm

It was just another peaceful day at Babylon Gardens. Everyone was enjoying the hot sun and the gentle breeze. The Miltons invited everyone to a party at their lavish mansion. There were piles of food, rave music, video games, an Olympic sized pool, orange soda, gosh everything a spoiled brat would want. The whole town was celebrating the official start of summer. It had never been done before, so why not start a new tradition? It seemed that everyone was happy.
Too happy, too satisfied with their life.

King never felt such a horrible displeasure in his life. Every step he took, he felt like barfing. While everyone else was having the time of their lives, King was slumped in a corner holding his stomach. Right now, the world seemed so fake to King. The world that he knows isn't always so merry all the time. It is sad and painful, cruel and unforgiving. It gets you into situations you wouldn't dream of expecting. There were just so many things wrong with this world and yet these people manage to ignore them. All the hate, destruction, chaos, treachery; they all seemed to be nonexistent. One would call it, heaven on earth. He'd been in this world long enough to know how it would eventually become corrupt just like the rest.

"Urrgh... **** it Pete, you can't just make me sick for your sadistic needs."
"Hey King! Still talking to yourself? Why don't you join us at the pool? It's so fun and noisy and crowded and wow is it hot in here! Come on, we can't just sit here while everyone else is having fun!"
"You go party around yourself, okay? I'll just watch you from here. I can't move a muscle."
"King, you sound like a grandpa... Are you okay? Your face is turning pale."
"I'm fine, don't worry about me."
She hesitated for a moment, then ran away aimlessly. She was drowned in the party.

His head was beginning to turn furiously and his entire body began to shiver. He was hallucinating, it seemed like Sasha was the demon with three heads in his dreams. He began to let out a sharp howl as the pain moved to his sides. King collapsed and let out bursts of gasps. His eyes slowly began to close as the joyful world around him dissolved into nothing.

"Who's that little mutt over there? He's ruining it for all of us!"
"Can't he be thankful for once in his life?"
"Guys, he's not moving... I think he's dead."
"WHAT? CALL THE AMBULANCE RIGHT NOW! We can't have anyone die in our house, our reputation will be ruined! Besides, he is technically my pet and I don't want to pay for his funeral."
"Mr. Steward! Quickly! Call the ambulance please."

***************************************************

"Unhappy is he whom the memories of childhood bring only fear and sadness."
"Who are you?"
"I see the poison hasn't worked for you. Well it doesn't matter, you are lucky enough to watch the show."
"Answer me. Who are you?"
"You wouldn't know even if I told you."
...
Am I truly lucky? Until right now, my life has been a curse. I don't even know where I am. Maybe I am dead. I can't move anywhere. My limbs aren't bound but I can't seem to move them. It seems the darkness stretches out forever.

"Nothing is forever."

Oh yeah, he had the voice to keep him company in this emptiness. He could never enjoy solitude. Now he has a wisecrack watching over him.

"You say you are independent, but the truth is you are the one who needs the most assistance right now. You will die, but not now."

**************************************************

"Oh, good. You're finally awake."
"I thought I'd never see you again!" Fox was about to hug King when the nurse interrupted.
"No! You aren't allowed to touch him. Not until a few days pass."
"It's already been 11 days!"
"We don't know if the virus is contagious. Although he might seem recovered, we aren't sure if he is completely cured. For everyone's safety I request that there will be no visitors from now on."

The crowd muttered as they were escorted to the lobby.

"If I'm not cured, why were they in here in the first place?"
"We were sure you died, so we let everyone that wanted to see you in. It's been 11 days and you just magically come back to life. The virus inside your body seems foreign and we will need to investigate further before we let you go."
"It's been 11 days? It feels like only a few hours passed."
"Well, there was no brain activity during those days. We were about to give you up but the Miltons told us to keep trying. Well, it seems like everything is in good condition. Maybe we'll let you go tomorrow."

*************************************************

"Doctor, the virus seems to be mutating constantly. It seems that the virus is compatible to animals but not humans. Simply fascinating! We haven't had one like this since 200 years ago."
"If that is the case, we cannot let him go. He may hold the cure to the disease."
"Don't be foolish, doctor Mikhail. The host was a dog but still struggled to stay alive. It should only affect other dogs."
"If the virus is compatible with animals, how was the host dead for so long?"
"Perhaps it was spreading all over the body until it completely controlled the host, and then brought the host back to life."
"Like a zombie!"
"Can we stop making these preposterous claims? We can't be sure of anything yet. Keep running the tests, we might make a huge discovery."

...
"DOCTOR!"
"What is it, nurse?"
"The patient is gone. He must have escaped while we were talking."
"What!? Go find him and bring him back, right now! If he's loose, he can potentially kill everyone in this world!"
The nurse panicked and hurried outside with a net.
"Doctor... you are definetely overreacting."
"She won't listen to me otherwise."

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 7:40 pm

King felt relieved that he was going back to Babylon Gardens. He really needed to talk to Tarot about all of this. She was the only one that could provide him with answers, no matter how twisted they were. Besides, the hospital emitted a dark aura. He couldn't help but think that he had been there before.

"Thanks for letting me ride in your car, Fido ... Hey is it legal for you to drive?"
"Under normal circumstances, no. All the humans have some sort of an illness right now, over 300 people died already. No one's here to stop me."
"Oh..." He actually wasn't surprised this had happened. What did he mean by poison? Was this it? Why would anyone want to kill all the humans? It didn't matter; he was too tired to ask anymore.

There was a long period of silence between them. The road was pitch black except for the headlights from the car. Babylon Gardens: 15 km it said. King noticed Fido was slumped, motionless.

"Fido what are you doing? You're supposed to make a right turn here. Come on Fido, we have to turn back. FIDO!"

Of course, Fido was drunk. He was truly blessed to be this lucky. King shoved Fido aside and tried to steer the car. He was too short to see anything, so he just slammed on the brakes with all his weight. He screamed with fear but then realized the voice wouldn't let him die so soon. No, he probably finds pleasure in his suffering. The car rolled down the cliff ever so gently. It looked as if an elephant stepped on a ladybug. The car was flipped upside down, burning. Tires were missing.There were glass pieces everywhere on the ground. King dragged Fido out just before the automobile exploded.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 8:07 pm

5 days ago

"Mom! Dad!" Peanut sobbed quietly.
"It's okay. They're in a better place now." Peanut's mourning only grew louder.
"Shut up! We can't bring them back to life by crying. There's nothing more we can do now. Peanut we have to be strong. We have to survive; they would want it that way."

Grape sighed as Peanut cried even louder.
"Grape, are you going to leave me too?"
"No, I will stay with you forever. Don't worry, everything will be alright."

"What do we do now? All the humans are dead, we don't know anything! We can't take care of ourselves."
"We'll have to create a government, have people scavenge for food, contact other pets for help..."
"Slow down there, Fox. What we need is a leader. Anyone volunteer to be a leader?"
"Me! I'm probably the only one suitable as your leader."
"Bino? We can't have Bino in charge of everyone. No way am I letting you be leader."
"Excuse me, but I am the leader of the Good Ol' Dogs club. I have more leadership experience than any of you. And no one asked for your opinion, cat!"
"No that would be me."
"Who cares if I'm the cofounder? I'm still a much better leader than you will ever be."
"That's enough. Fido is both the official founder of your club and received exemplary training as a K-9 unit. He is much more suited to be the leader. Do you want to vote on this?"
"You fools obviously don't know what you're even doing. Pretending to be humans and imposing yourselves the slavery that inhibits your freedom. You owe no loyalty to each other. Go back to nature, live the feral life. Consider this a blessing."
"I am not degrading myself now. I've lived here long enough to know this civilization is much greater than the primitive lives in the wild."
"What civilization? Now that all the humans are gone, there is no more civilization. Maybe the mystic is right, maybe we weren't meant to be here. Our family will be moving back to the wild. It was enjoyable while it lasted."
"No Miles! We can make this work. We don't need the humans. Yes, we've collapsed right now but we'll build a new civilization superior to the previous one."
"Ugh. I can't stand this! Carry on with your little pretend game there. You guys can all stick with these fools, but if you want to live, you stick with me."
...
"Hey where's everyone going?"
"It's OK Fido, we don't need them. The cats will only slow us down."
"Why is everyone ignoring me? I'm telling you, we need to contact the others."
"Shut up Fox! Don't you even know that the nearest city is 50km away?"
"We're going to need help from the Miltons. Why don't we go there and ask for a compromise, leader?"
"I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"And why is that?"
"We have much more important things to do first, like extending our territory and..."
"Fido, let me have a word with you." Ralph and Fido stepped out of the house.
"They might've elected you as their leader but I'm still your superior. When I tell you to do something, you better do it, you hear?"
"You can't do this, Ralph. The police force is over. If you wanted to be leader, you could've said so."
"They trust you, Fido. I'm just trying to do what's best for everyone. I've done a lot more missions than you have. I got more experience. I know what I'm doing. I won't force you to do everything I tell you. But if you want to continue living, you will listen to what I say. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir."
"Go in there, tell them the plan."

musclecar326 · Post by **musclecar326** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 6:07 pm

Wow depressing so far, there is definably only a few other stories that had no humans in them. But you need to work on a lot of things, first put names next to some of the dialog so we know who's talking, second describe more scenes and make the scenes longer, and lastly try not to skip periods of time in a scene. Tell us about the whole thing not just bits and pieces.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 2:13 pm

I'll attach name tags from now on.
This is only the beginning, more will be explained in time.
I will have bits and pieces of everything, just out of order.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 3:37 pm

-Milton's Mansion-
Fido: So, do you agree?
Keene: Do I agree? **** NO! You are not touching my money.
Fido: Look, your money is useless as long as the humans are dead. There's really no use for us to take it from you anyway. We'll just protect your wealth as long as we can have some of the share.
Keene: Protect? Ha! You guys don't seem capable of helping yourselves. You're a bunch of crazy beggars!
*The gang snarls*
Keene: How cute, are you threatening me now? We don't need protection. We can live well on our own.
Fido: It didn't have to be this way. You brought this on yourself.
Keene: What do you mean?
Fido: We have you surrounded. My army is more vicious than you think. Surrender now and maybe we'll let you guys live as our slave.
Keene: Duke! Pull the switch.
Fido: Wait what! STOP THEM.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
Keene shudders and twitches as he laughs in madness.
"If I can't enjoy my money... neither can you."
Fido: We'll see about that.
Keene: You underestimate us, Fido. You think I didn't expect this? Did you really think that I keep ALL our wealth in this house? Don't you smell it? The acrid smell of our wealth burning up.
Fido: Kevin! Put out the fire before the whole town gets burned up.
Keene: Here comes the helicopter, good to see our friends are still loyal to us. Enjoy living in this cursed town.
********************************************

"What did I say? You were better off following me after all. We'll rebuild the town after we get rid of our enemies. But first, we must get rid of all the oppressive measures humans put on us. That means no technology, get rid of the helicopter now."
Keene: What was that for? We didn't have to explode the helicopter to get rid of it!
"Oh you can never be too sure."
********************************************

Fido: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Ralph: Relax. Most of the houses were untouched.
Fido: Relax? How can I relax when nearly half my followers left me? This is all your fault!
Ralph: My plan was brilliant! You were the one that poorly executed it. Seriously, do you have any idea how bribery works?
Fido: Leave me alone. From now on, I'm not listening to anything you say.
Ralph: go ahead. Just remember not to make any mistakes I can easily dethrone you anytime.
"......"

“Thank you all for attending this meeting. As you all know, yesterday’s mission was a failure. Worry not, for our loss was compensable. We have a greater goal now, in addition to the goal of reviving our society of course. Our worst enemy is the cat clan and anyone affiliated with them. They want to make everyone revert back to the primitive ways: a life without technology, collars, or laws. A truly scary thought indeed. They are gaining power and attempting to crush us. To counter our foes, we must strike first! Until our foes are eradicated, we will focus our skills on attacking the enemy. The younger children can go scavenge for food and weapons while everyone else trains with me and Ralph. Do not be lazy in your work! You are all dismissed.”
Ralph:Well done, Fido. Well done.
****************************************************

Fido realized his shirt was vibrating.
Fido: Um... hello? ...Oh! King's still alive? He's been cured? ...Yes, thank you.
Fox: He's still alive?
Fido: Yes, but-
Fox: I need to see him!
Sasha: Me too!
???: Can I go too?
???: Ooh me too!
Fido: Wow, do you all want to visit him that badly?
Everyone: Yes!
Fido knew most of them just wanted to skip their training but agreed anyway.
Fido: Fine, get in my car.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 3:56 pm

Fido: Can we at least talk to him?
Nurse: Sorry, that is against the rules. We didn't exactly say you can come visit anyway. Our client requested that none of you see King again. But I will give you some drinks, it is very hot outside and it seems you have come a long way.
The nurse was a peculiar person. She wore gloves, a gas mask, and an airtight armor. Cautious not to touch anyone, she carefully put down the tray holding sealed cups of water.

Ralph: Fido, I'm taking everyone back. They still need much more training.
Fido: I'm going to talk to whoever this "client" is. Something's not right.
Ralph: Fine, I'm expecting you to be back by 10pm.

Fido: Bino! I'm still surprised you came here. I thought you hated King.
Bino: Yeah, uh... that's me. Unpredictable.
Fido: I'll see you later, OK?

Fido got into a heated argument with the nurse. This was Bino's only chance. In one swift move, Bino poured the bag into Fido's drink and closed the cap.

Sorry Fido, but I refuse to be under your shadow forever.

valerio · Post by **valerio** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 4:11 pm

Do you accept a couple of annotations?
1) okay, it's your style, but the 'stenographic' style isn't the best recommended for narrative
2) we are completely out of character here. Writing about a dystopian scenario shouldn't also make them go topsy-turvy, especially so soon! The reader should at least witness a progressive deterioration of the social relations before having fido acting like local mafia! This has happened in the space of a couple of hurried updates.
I strongly suggest you read, for example, Dean's fanfiction. It deals with great changes but it does so giving a good characterization and a sense of familiarity with a new scenario.

copper · Post by **copper** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 3:04 am

Well, this is definitely an interesting read! I am sure there is quite a bit more to come too.

As for suggestions? Well, you are a bit off character, and your style is a bit hurried. Maybe instead of putting Housepts characters into personal characters you make, you can mold your own characters to better suit the Housepets characters? And as for the style, it is fine. Reads more like a script than a story right now, but there is nothing wrong with that at all! Just an intersting twist you do not see often.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:38 pm

His heart was pounding. He had done it. Soon he’ll be leader making the decisions. People will finally learn to respect him and not his brother. He’s always been there attracting the crowd, glorified for his actions. Not anymore.

Fido: Oh! You’re still here.
Bino: Yeah… I was just… waiting for you to finish.
Fido: Thanks! You know, I really thought that you would hate me for taking your spot like that. But you’ve only been supportive of me these past days! I thought you would burst into a rage, but you were calmer than ever. You never cease to amaze me! Oh, don’t look so sad. I know you’re upset about all of this. This leader thing… it comes with great responsibility and truthfully, I’m not ready for it. I need your help, your assistance. I’ll go insane if I have to do this myself. So can we be partners again, Bino?

Bino couldn’t help but frown and look away.
Out of everyone, he wants my help? What good am I to anyone? …No one likes me, no one wants me. The only reason I even got to be leader of the Good Old Dogs club was because Fido let me. He’s the only one that ever cared about me when I was being a loser.
And what did I do for him?
I tried to kill him.

Fido: Oh… uh I guess you don’t have to help me if you don’t want to.
Fido reaches and grabs for the cup
Bino: No… wait, stop!
Bino rushed in and snatched away the silver, shining cup.
Bino: I won’t let you die. Not because of me.
Fido: What are you talking about, Bino? I just wanted your help, there’s nothing more to it.
Bino: What can I do to help? You don’t need my help. You’re doing this because you pity me.
Fido: No, it’s not like that…
Bino: BECAUSE YOU PITY ME!
Fido: …
Bino: I’m not worthy of taking your position. But… thanks for everything.
And with one gulp he downed the whole thing.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 6:18 pm

Fido: What the ****?
Bino: Until we meet again…
Fido: What are you talking about! What the **** did you just do?!
Bino breathed heavily, gasping for air. He swayed and crashed into a wall, ripping his fur off and crashing his head continuously at the brick wall. He began to crawl and claw at some imaginary entity. It was not long before he collapsed, face bereft of color, eyes rolled back, guttering sounds spewing from his stomach. He vomited a messy blob of maroon gore and other shades of red. In the end, he stopped struggling and let it all out.

Fido could do nothing but stand confused and amazed.
Fido: Why…
…what was wrong?
Fido: HELP! Please anyone help. Doctors, nurses, anyone!
Nurse: What is... Oh my god! Doctor Mikhail, we have an unconscious dog that seems to have vomited blood and bile. Prepare the emergency room!
*********************************************
Everything happened so quickly. The life I knew is all crushed and transformed into a world of woe and misery. How could I let this all happen? How could the innocent, little town degenerate so quickly with me in charge? What am I supposed to do?
(Enters nurse)
Fido: Is he OK?
Nurse: He seems to have ingested a large quantity of toxicants. We don’t know what it is, but the doctors are trying to get it surgically removed from his body. But I do know that what he consumed was lethal and he has very little chance of surviving.
Fido: …
Nurse: Do you recall anything he consumed today?
Fido: I do recall that my brother died after he just drank your drink! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!
Nurse: I’ll have you know that the drinks were purely water with mineral additives.
Fido: THEN WHY! WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?!
Nurse: Please, calm down. You’re scaring everyone, the doctors need full concentration and-
Fido: I DON’T CARE, DO SOMETHING!
Nurse: I am not trained to handle this situation. The doctors will help him, or at least try to. But your shouting is inhibiting your brother’s treatment.
Fido: Oh, why? Bino… why?

The once muscular and confident police dog is now a bawling, helpless puppy.
Fido: Am I going to lose everything?

copper · Post by **copper** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 9:20 pm

Well this is getting dark. Wonder when the zombies show up?

Interesting view on Bino and Fido. Interesting indeed...

Try to cut down just a little on describing death.This is okay, but much more and it might cross the line.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 9:49 pm

Deaths won't have too much detail.

???: We lost him…
Mikhail: No, we have not lost yet! There’s still the-
???: Wake up Mikhail! He was dead 10 minutes ago.
Mikhail: So, …we lost him for good.
???: Mikhail, why are we doing this?
Mikhail: Doing what?
???: We’re not even real doctors
Mikhail: flower power Vars not this again! You know muffins and cookies well we’re the most competent doctors here.
Vars: Then why did we not get our doctorates, Mikhail? Why pretend we are qualified here?
Mikhail: Are you saying our 11 years of studies and training were all worth nothing?
Vars: To put it succinctly, yes.
Mikhail: Well its not. After we prove ourselves worthy here, we can go back and reclaim our glory. You’ll get your title back and I’ll finally become a MD.
Vars: You’re insane. They’ll never let us back in.
*********************************************

King was inside what seems to be a kids’ playroom. They had given him a bowl of soup filled with mysterious meat (Which looked suspiciously like tripe) and a loaf of millet oat bread. It was simply unpalatable but King was in a vegetative state and he was famished. Luckily, he didn’t have to consume much before getting full. The room had that “hospital smell” but it was bearable.
King: (What were they thinking putting me in a playroom? Do I look like a kid to them?)
He quickly replied to his own internal dialogue. (Yes)
For a playroom, it was dim lit and empty. From walking around in the hallways, he quickly realized that he was the only patient. It was unsettling to be in such a large hospital with few people inside. Even if he was an adult, the dark hallways and empty rooms were still spooky and he preferred to be in his little playroom. Why would the hospital leave so many lights turned off? Shouldn’t a hospital be operating at all times?
King saw a glimmer across the room. A gun. Colt Python. He never owned a gun before but he could easily recognize the model from his encounter with the law-enforcement agencies.
But what is a gun doing in a playroom? It didn’t matter, he took it with him. He could be in potential danger and using his strength was obviously out of the question.
**********************************************

Nurse: No! Entering is not permitted.
Mikhail: Camilla, its OK.
Camilla: Fine, then. If you really want to see him, go ahead.

Fido approached Bino with heavy footsteps. Rays of light were shining down through the window on Bino’s tattered face. If it weren’t for the collar, it would have been impossible to recognize Bino. He was truly damaged beyond repair.
Fido was about to leave when he heard a voice.
“I’m pathetic, aren’t I?”
Fido: Bino… is that you?
“I want you to know that I always looked up to you.”
Fido: …
Fido was still appalled from all of this.
“I also want you to do something for me”
Fido: Anything
“Seek vengeance. Find everyone that is responsible for this, and kill them. All of them.”

Camilla: ...Who is he talking to?

copper · Post by **copper** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:18 pm

So Fido snaps... things ought to get more interesting now!

JohnWillow · Post by **JohnWillow** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 6:54 am

I've only read the first few stories because i've just got out of bed. So far i see you must be mixing housepets with The Walking Dead or I Am Legend. I will hold back on criticism till i read the rest, but i will write that find it a little hard to know who's talking at times.

Luna werewolf · Post by **Luna werewolf** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 1:30 pm

Even though this is a little too dark for my usual taste, I liked the bit that said,

There were just so many things wrong with this world and yet these people manage to ignore them.

Can I put it on my signiture, if I write --Wanderer

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 7:56 pm

Yes! I will really appreciate it if you do. You may quote me with my username if you wish to do so!

I am definetely not mixing Housepets with The Walking Dead or I Am Legend. I have not even seen the first, and the latter has nothing to do with this. There also won't actually be zombies, sorry if you were expecting that.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Sun Jan 08, 2012 10:38 pm

With no source of light available, King couldn’t advance any further into the woodland. He returned to the burning car while dragging Fido in one hand. King had a deep gash in his leg, making it extremely hard to walk. His shoulder was also somewhat torn. Fido had a purplish, red bruise near the abdomen. Crazy I love you, what the hell was he thinking driving like that?
He looked back at the car. They were very lucky to have survived that fall. From seeing what happened to the car, it was definitely not a small drop. They should have died along with the car crash.
King: Wake up.
Fido: …
King: Please… wake up.
It was no use trying, King would have to drag Fido’s body everywhere until he regains consciousness. He saw a small light across the looming trees. King found a small house, a shack to be exact. Maybe they have a first aid kit, or at least give directions. King knocked on the door. He had his gun ready in case they proved to be dangerous.

***************************************
Ralph: When we get back, you will work twice as hard to meet today’s quota. We’ve done enough loafing around today. You all want to stop living like this, right? Then we all have to work even harder, only after hard work can we relax and live in luxury. When you know you have sweated and toiled for your food you will feel pride afterward. Do not complain about how hard your life is right now because we all go through this pain together. Do I make myself clear?!

*****************************************************
King: …Are you serious?
???: Yes, trust me.
King dumped the bucket full of ice cold water on Fido’s head.
Fido immediately began to scream and writhe in pain.
King: It’s just water, you idiot!
Fido: Oh… (blush) but why did you do that anyway?
Fox: We had to make sure you weren’t dead.
Fido: Fox?! What are you doing here? Where are we?
King: Why did you crash your car and nearly get us killed?
Fido: Um… that’s… a very good question!
Fox: (sigh) You have a lot to explain.

Sorry it was really short this time :I

copper · Post by **copper** » Tue Jan 10, 2012 11:25 pm

Ralph is really turning into a tyrant it seems. Wonder why Fido was acting so strange.

Fox came out of nowhere. Wonder how he plays into this.

Can't wait for the next one!

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:16 pm

Fido: Actually, to be honest… I really don’t remember what happened yesterday. I think I was driving back home with King and – I blacked out I guess.
King: Were you drinking?
Fido: NO! What makes you think that?
King: Just a thought, you know.

*****************************************************

Fox was reading a book called Ancient Societies of the World. It was a bland book outlining the achievements and failures of classical civilizations done by none other than a college professor. It was almost impossible to read because of the sheer amount of jargon and plethora of facts. Despite being called a brief summary, it was nothing of the sort. Ever since the humans departure, Fox had full access to the public library and spent a great deal of time going through books. Of course, Ralph had to keep nagging about how he was wasting his time reading silly books instead of farming. Fox couldn’t give a muffins and cookies about what Ralph thought. A stupid drill sergeant, that’s what he was. There was a time he actually respected the K-9 units. Of course, it all changed when he was getting “trained”. Actually he was even fine with the training, if it weren’t for the fact that they completely ignored him. Now he’s lecturing about how we should be trying our hardest for the benefit of everyone. What a chump.

*********************************************

King: Hey, I remembered something.
Fox: What is it?
King: Didn’t you say all the humans died?
Fido: No, I said they all have some illness. People either died or escaped the vicinity of Babylon Gardens.
He looked at King’s puzzled face.
Fido: (Facepalm) Oh I almost forgot, you don’t know any of this. Do you?
King: No…
Fido: Well ever since that disease spread everywhere, people started dropping like flies. They had to do something and the most logical choice was to get the hell out. When enough people got out of the vicinity, they closed the area and had the military watch over the boundary. So we’re stuck in this small circle. Well, actually big enough to be certain that the disease hasn’t spread that far. If we were to try to get outside that boundary, they would shoot us down. They really want us to die, so we can’t spread the disease.
King: Only animals carry the disease?
Fido: Unless if you were infected, of course. It has no effect on animals.
King: Hmm…
Fox: They’re also cutting us off on communications. We won’t be able to use our technology anymore, because they’ve cut the electric supply. There is no more food, except the ones that are already here of course. But they haven’t shut our phone service for some reason. Its not like we can call anyone… except those doctors.
King: Oh yeah, the doctors – who are they?
Fido: They’re bat**** insane that’s what! When everyone was trying to get away from here, they came here and looked for us.
Fox: I think they’re trying to find a cure.
Fido: And my hypothesis is that they were hired by the Miltons. There must be something they’re hiding.
King: Wait, so there are still humans living in here?
Fido: Maybe… we haven’t found any others besides the doctors. I wouldn’t count on it.

**************************************************

Ralph: Fox! When I’m talking, you ****ing listen to me. I’m saying this to everyone. Don’t think this doesn’t apply to you too.
Fox: Why should I listen to you?
Ralph: What is this, are you trying to rebel against me or something? Are you a ****ing puppy? I don’t know what kind of books you were reading, Fox, but you better stop doing it right now.
Fox: Doing what? Reading? Speaking what’s on my mind?
Sasha: (Audible whisper) Fox! Please stop. Just do what he says, let’s not fight anymore.

copper · Post by **copper** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 9:42 pm

Hmmm... a bit too much cursing. A good story, and we are finally getting some info. Awesome!

The skips are a bit confusing, but it can be followed. Can't wait for the next one!

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 12:59 am

Fox: No Sasha, we don’t have to listen to him.
Fox gave Ralph a cold stare.
Fox: Ralph. He makes us work like hell everyday to advance our society or whatever bull**** he’s trying to feed us. The only thing he ever does is give orders while we work long hours for almost no gain. We barely make enough food to get by. We get special training from him, which basically means physical torture. Why are we getting trained again? Oh right, so we can go and kill cats.
Ralph: You know that’s not the only reason why we’re –
Fox: Who put you in charge anyway? Fido is our leader, not you! Why are you making us do this anyway? Fido doesn’t want any of this!
Ralph: Maybe if you went to our meetings-
Fox: Meetings? More like an assembly hall where you give us a long speech. Those meetings should be discussions that everyone participates in. But you don’t care about anyone but yourself. You only carry out your decisions. Maybe if you actually listened to me you would-
Ralph: Listen to you? Goodness, you should hear yourself talk. You sure do complain a lot about me. Tell me, Fox, what exactly have you done for us?
Fox: Everything you tell me to do.
Ralph: Like hell you do! You never do what I tell you! Every time I come and check to see if you’re doing your work, you’re daydreaming or reading your muffins and cookies books! You always do whatever you want! You don’t care about the rest of us! Always do a half-German Black Forest Cake job, so others have to work longer and finish what you failed to complete. But they never complained about it! Oh don’t forget the fact that you never showed up to training, even though you sure do complain about it a lot. That was our first day of training and you’re already moaning about it? I only give orders? If you were there to see me, I do the exact same routine as everyone. I’m not all talk, Fox. I got experience and skill that I am willing to share with everyone else. Your companions, your comrades, your friends, your family - they’re sacrificing for you but what have you done? What have you done for anyone?
Fox: Maybe if you took my advice sometimes you would see me as useful. Maybe I’m just not fit for everything that you make me do. Instead of lumping everyone to do the same thing, we could divide people to different stations and make it more effective. Have you ever considered the fact that your decisions might not be the best?
Ralph: And so says the lazy bum!
Fox: Ignore all of what I said, will you!
Ralph: For a slacking bum you sure seem to think your words hold wisdom!
Fox: I could say the same to you! Stop being so conceited Ralph. You’re not as great as you think.
Ralph: You aggravate me to hell, Fox. It takes every last bit of my sanity to keep myself from kicking you out.
Fox: ...
Ralph: But as the better person, I’m willing to forget all of your mistakes. Let’s make an agreement, perhaps we can both agree to some terms.

****************************************************************************************

Stepping outside in daylight King noticed the forest wasn’t nearly as daunting as it was in the deep night. The nearby trees provided a lot of shade. The grass was growing like weeds in the ground, unkempt and plentiful. It was marshy enough that you would constantly sink until one of your feet becomes consumed by the mud. King slipped two times on his way to the shack. There was a dark blue and green swamp nearby. The swamp looked clean and pristine, but you never know what’s hidden submerged in the water. After adventuring for a while, King noticed they were on a small island. The water was not too deep in some areas, enough that one could walk across with the water coming barely under the elbows. Well, King’s elbows that is.

*****************************************************************************************

Fido: So… where are we anyway?
Fox: Hey don’t go off just yet! You really need some rest before going out.
Fido: Oww…
Fox: I bandaged all your wounds. You sure had a lot of scrapes and wounds. It was a lot of work cleaning and stopping the bleeding you know!
Fido: …Well thanks.
Fox proceeded to sit on a crude wooden chair.
Fido: So, where are we? It was obviously not a coincidence that I woke up next to you.
Fox: Actually, it was a complete coincidence that we met. I was quite surprised too, having someone actually visit here at midnight. I came outside after hearing King’s voice only to find you two in a bloody mess.
Fido: What I really want to know is what are you doing here?
Fox: What do you mean?
Fido: Aren’t you supposed to be with Ralph right now? I know Ralph and I didn’t have anyone building houses.
Fox: Uh that’s because…

****************************************************************

Fox: Agreement? Don’t make me laugh. I’ll put you out of power and make you go through the pain like everyone else.
After having said that he stormed out
And never turned back

****************************************************************

Fox: It was Ralph! He mocked me, hurt me, and kicked me out! Said I wasn’t good enough to be part of his… his clan!

Luna werewolf · Post by **Luna werewolf** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 11:43 am

'part from the fact it's written a lot like a play, it's cool, and well-written.

copper · Post by **copper** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 6:21 pm

Good story so far. So Fox is alone in a swamp. How very interesting.

Wonder how Ralph's clan is doing.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 9:03 pm

“Shhh… stay calm and let me take you back.”
Under her viselike grip came muffled screams.
“Shut up! Things would be much easier if you just stayed quiet!”
King flailed around as an attempt to escape from her strong grip, but it was only a futile effort. He managed to tear apart the net and run away but she quickly caught up to him. King tried to elbow her and kick her, but her heavy armor ended up damaging him more than it did her.

She would not let him escape as easily as last time. If he did manage to elude her it would have been days or weeks before she found him again. But she found him, and now she is in her hands ready to be returned as a vital subject of experimentation and research.

“Fido! Fox! Help me, I’m being taken away! I’m being kidnapped!”
No one could hear him.

Maybe if I shot the gun, they’ll hear the shot and come rescue me!
His restricted movement made firing the gun challenging. He could move his wrists freely, but his total range of motion made it impossible to shoot her or even the ground for that matter. He ended up dropping the gun right next to his feet. He leaned his foot towards the gun.

If I could just reach the trigger…
************************************
Fido: Now, Fox. I understand you may have some hard feelings about Ralph and his way of dealing things. But, you have to realize Ralph isn’t all that bad. Sure, he is a bit pushy and forceful at times but he does what’s best for us. You can’t blame him for everything bad that happens.
Fox: (What the hell is he talking about?! I just told him I got kicked out by Ralph, and he praises him? Not even the slightest sign of sympathy?)
###############################
“You can’t trust anyone, Fido.”
Fido: (I trust Fox)
“Is the trust mutual? He could be deceiving you.”
Fido: (How would he deceive me?)
“Look at this place, Fido. He wouldn’t be living here if he didn’t do something bad.”
Fido: (Something bad?)
“He said he got kicked out. Why would he get kicked out if he hadn’t violated the rules? He deserved to be ousted.”
###############################
Fox: What was that!
The roar of the gun echoed and shook the shack’s foundations.
Fido: It sounds like a gun fired, let’s go out and check before-
Fox: No, I’ll go. You stay in here.
***********************************
Fox: King! Where are you! Answer me!
Fox was out of breath from running about in the island.
Fox: He couldn’t have gone far…
He saw the gun lying besides the water.
Fox: No… it can’t be.
Oh the water, it was so clear now.
Fox: (Is King… really dead?)
Fido: Hey Fox! Is everything OK?
Fox was curled up in a ball.
Fido: Are you alright?
Fox: Why would anyone want to kill King?

copper · Post by **copper** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 9:59 pm

Uh oh... King has been captured and FOx thinks he is dead? This should be fun.

Can't wait to see if Ralph gets involved.

I don't know if it is just me missing something, but where did the net and woman come from? Kind of came out of nowhere...

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 11:02 pm

The woman is the nurse from the first post, she went out to retrieve King.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:42 am

Camilla: Doctor, I have brought the dog.
Mikhail: It’s about time you came.
Camilla: Doctor, I had to track and capture the dog. It would’ve taken at least three days for most people, but I managed to complete the task in…
Mikhail: Silence! I don’t need to hear your excuse! So you said you brought the dog, where is it?
Camilla: He’s in this bag-
Mikhail [Snatches the bag from Camilla’s hands]: Vars! Charlie! I need you here right now! Break’s over!
Camilla [Towards Vars]: Why is Mikhail so mad?
Vars [sighs]: He’s been like this ever since the government cut our funding.
Camilla: They cut off our funding?
Vars: They said they didn’t need us anymore.
Camilla: But they do need us! Have they gone mad! We can create the panacea. If we were allotted some time, we can save everyone’s life! We are their salvation!
Vars: … (She really thinks we can do this…)
*****************************************
[Suddenly, blinding light illuminates the screen] Young Joel is seen carrying his backpack with a small map of the town in his hand. He had just moved in not too long ago, to stay in a prestigious boarding school. His parents told him that it would be a very valuable experience, and that he would be able to make many friends at the boarding school. They promised him that he would not get bullied like in his previous school. Even with his parents consoling words, he felt rather uncomfortable when he approached the humongous school. Energetic children ran across the campus to greet their friends and share their experiences. There was a lot of catching up to do, as they have not seen their friends since the beginning of summer. Joel kept a wary eye on the kids. They were all taller than him, partly due to the fact that he started school earlier than most. As a result, he was a year younger than everyone in his grade. Joel remembered his parents telling him that it was the beginning of a “new world”. He would start anew with a clean slate. Maybe this time things will change.

Joel: Let’s see, first class is Chemistry. That should be at the end of this hallway.

He could not help but shudder at the huge wave of upper classmen coming towards him. He had almost expected them to grab him by the shoulders and toss him at the lockers, but strangely enough they completely ignored him and went on their way.
*************************************************
King lay on his back fastened by leather straps to a metal bed with a steel frame. His hands were fastened to the sides of the bed. Harnesses pushed him back whenever he tried to stand up. His body itched in the most inconvenient places. Although he desperately wished to scratch his belly, he could not do anything about it. He wondered when they would let him go and what they wanted to do with him. The room was very dusty, filled with the poignant odor of old cleaning supplies. The musty air was similar to that of a basement. After struggling to escape, he hopelessly sank into the metal bed. He dozed off to the drone of the boiler.
**************************************************

[It was noon and the bell had rung for students to come and eat in the cafeteria]
Joel stood in line with all the other students, receiving the disgusting glop of food. He walked towards the table farthest away from the entrance doors. As soon as Joel sat down, the people around him immediately stood up and moved to a new table. It was only a week into school and his roommates have effectively alienated him. He was often the topic of conversation, as his classmates have deemed him strange. Joel did not mind being left alone. It was actually stressful to be around a group of people, he exerted much less energy alone.
???: Hello, how are you?
Joel was taken aback by the sudden question. He did not expect anyone to sit near him, especially after that accident in Chemistry.
Joel: Hello... Good, how about you?
It was almost memorized.
???: Well, I noticed you were alone… So I came here to say hi!
Joel was uncertain what to say next. He was never known to carry out long conversations.
Finn: Well aren’t you the quiet one! Let’s introduce ourselves. I’m Finn.

copper · Post by **copper** » Wed Feb 08, 2012 3:14 am

Ooo! King backstory! Always a good thing to read.

So the crazies are back and they have King, huh? Interesting...

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 10:00 pm

Things have not been going well and until I figure out what I want to do with my life, I am not updating anymore.
I will continue this if I ever recover from dysthymia.

copper · Post by **copper** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 12:31 am

Sorry to hear about that! I hope you feel better soon, and if not update, at least visit from time to time.... You will be missed.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 12:50 am

Oh, I'm not going anywhere! I just won't be as active but I'm still here!

copper · Post by **copper** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 1:08 am

Well that's good! See ya around then.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 9:29 pm

Mikhail: From the data that we have accumulated, it’s safe to assume that there is a direct correlation between the rate at which the virus spreads inside the body and the mental and emotional health of hosts. While I do not know a way to completely cease the spread of the virus, I do know that there must be a way to reverse this phenomenon to by evoking stimuli.
[Mikhail points at the wooden box with various materials]
Mikhail: Charlie, take that box to the basement laboratory, I’ll be preparing for our various experiments. Make sure the entrance and exit is sealed when you get in there, I’ll have to bring the mandatory materials before testing.
Charlie: Sure thing, boss!
Camilla: Do you need some assistance, doctor?
Mikhail: No! I’m fine. I guess you could help Charlie with taking the equipment to the basement laboratory… this should be enough I suppose!
Camilla: May I ask what we will be doing with all these equipment?
Mikhail: You’ll find out soon enough.

******************************************************

Joel had been sitting outside under the shade of an elm tree. After a long day, Joel sometimes enjoyed to sit and marvel at nature’s beauty. Or so he thought, he was just really tired.

Finn: Hey, Joel!
Joel: Hey.
Finn: Are you doing anything this weekend?
Joel: Besides the usual? Nah…
Finn: Really? You’re not even going to celebrate your birthday?
Joel: (How did he...)
Finn: You even marked the date on your calendar! It says “my birthday” and you circled it with blue ink!
Joel: (Oh right…)
Finn: So are your parents getting you a present?
Joel: …

It was extremely straining for his family to even pay for tuition let alone buy him a present. His parents would either say that he is too old for presents or mention how hard they have to work to support the family. As they just moved to the United States not too long ago, his family found lodging in a run-down apartment complex.

Joel: Probably not…
Finn: You’re not kidding, are you?
[Joel shook his head]
Finn: Well you’re not going to spend your birthday unnoticed. I’ll make sure you get a huge present! I’m going to throw a huge party for your birthday, so that when people walk by in the hallways they’ll see you and say “It’s that birthday kid who threw the most awesome party ever”.
Joel: I don’t need the attention, Finn. I can celebrate my birthday by myself.
Finn: Oh come on, it’ll be like a mini party. It’s not like we’re inviting the entire school! OK, I’ll probably invite like half the school, but it’s not that much! Also, don’t even worry about the expenses, because I have it all covered. I’m loaded, man, loaded. You won’t even have to pay me a penny!
Joel: I still don’t think that’s a very good-
Finn: So you’ll be there, right? See you Sunday night!
Joel: No wait! Stop!

Finn was already gone.

Joel: I suppose it could be fun…

********************************************************

[School gym 19:30]

Finn: 50 more.
Tyler: muffins and cookies Finn! You’re going to die trying to lift that!
Finn: I’ve lifted much more.
Tyler: That’s because this is the only thing you do! Look at you man, you’re getting real big. Stupid big! All brawn and no brains.
Finn: Shut up, you’re not a genius either.
Tyler: I’ve got enough brains to tie my own shoes!
Finn: Are you just here to insult me?
Tyler: Maybe… Say you’ve been hanging out with that Joel kid a lot.
Finn: What about it?
Tyler: Dude, he’s the outcast of this school. You got to be pretty pathetic to talk to that kid.
Finn: He’s not that bad.
Tyler: Not that bad? You seem to know a lot about him.
Finn: Not really. He tries to avoid talking to me and spends a lot of his time himself.
Tyler: Then why bother?
Finn: … I can’t stand to have someone look so pathetic

copper · Post by **copper** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 11:23 pm

So Finn is the same as Fox then. Joel as a human had Finn. King as a dog has Fox. Just can't escape the help, can he?

Wonder what nefarious projects the researchers are doing now...

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 6:02 pm

Camilla: But is this what we should be doing? How is helping the dog going to help us formulate a cure?
Mikhail: Camilla, can’t you see? The dog’s medical emergency occurred concurrently with the outbreak of the epidemic. You can’t have something happen at the exact same time and say they are completely unrelated. There was not one but five dead today, Camilla. And all of them touched the dog by carrying it here. Is that not enough proof that this dog is what started all this? He is the bane of our existence!
Camilla: But you said the disease has no effect on animals. The dog was obviously dying when he was brought to the hospital. How do you explain that, doctor?
Mikhail: I don’t know the answer to that question… I guess the animals have grown immunity to the disease.
Camilla: But how could…
Mikhail: Do not argue with me, Camilla. You are not here to advise me.
Camilla: Forgive me, doctor. I understand now.
Mikhail: Good. Because he is the initial host of this newfound disease, it is imperative that we keep him where we can monitor his condition. You must make sure that he never leaves the hospital. Never! Do you understand the consequences if he does escape? Oh how catastrophic! Never shall that happen! Please, Camilla, never allow our dog patient to leave.
Camilla: Do not worry, doctor. He will be under my constant supervision.
Mikhail: Very good! I trust that you do your job well.

(5 minutes later)

Camilla: DOCTOR!
Mikhail: What is it, nurse?
Camilla: The patient is gone. He must have escaped while we were talking.
Mikhail: What!? muffins and cookies it! Go find him and bring him back, right now! If he’s loose, he can potentially kill everyone in this world!
Camilla: While the matter is urgent, it is already quite late in night.
Mikhail: I don’t want to hear it. Go! Go now!
Camilla: Doctor, could we possibly send a search and rescue team?
Mikhail: Do you think any search and rescue team is insane enough to help? Camilla when you agreed to help me and signed that paper, you signed a contract saying you recognize the dangers and will accept death. Death! You’re not going to back away now, when we need you the most, right? Right! Now go find that dog before I lose my mind.

The nurse hurried outside with a net.

Vars: Doctor… you are definitely overreacting.
Mikhail: I’m not overreacting! Why the hell are you so calm all the same?
Vars: There was no contract…
Mikhail: Shut the hell up! …She won’t listen to me otherwise.

******************************************************

Mikhail turned on the lights to the basement laboratory. If the lights were to be remained off, one would have easily mistaken the place for a dungeon. It was spacious but the huge equipment quickly filled the room. He also turned on the motor-generator that supplied the entire hospital with electricity. Mikhail then poked King with a wooden plank.
Mikhail: Wake up, dog.
King: My name is King, you wretch.
Mikhail: I don’t care. Wake up.
King: Leave me alone, let me enjoy my imprisonment.
Mikhail: Enjoy, ha! You are not here for a vacation, dog. You are the host of a pandemic and we are the ones that will find the cure.
King: You plan to find a cure by chaining me?
Mikhail: I loosened it so you can move everything but your arms, you should be thanking me.
King: I’m so- thankful! You want me to give you a back massage? Oh yeah, I almost forgot, my hands are shackled and tied to a wall.
Mikhail: We’re here to do experiments on you to trigger some responses. We already have a general idea of what would happen, but we’ll verify them with you anyway. So basically, you’re the lab rat.
King: And if I’m unwilling to comply?
Mikhail: You don’t have much of a choice. Our first experiment involves you being under extreme cold. Enjoy yourself.
Mikhail slammed the door shut.

**************************************************

Day 1

Prolonged exposure to extreme cold proved to have no effect on the disease. Experiment unsuccessful.

Day 2

Prolonged exposure to extreme heat proved to have no effect on the disease. King, as he calls himself, fainted from the heat. I had prepared another experiment after the heat chamber, but it seems that he does not have the energy or strength to give proper reactions. Experiment unsuccessful.

Day 3

We built a maze with no exits but only dead ends and placed the dog in the center of the maze. After a few hours of mindless wandering, he decided that he wasn’t in danger and sat down and refused to complete the test. It had little psychological effect on the corgi and an even lesser effect to the disease. Unable to stand his rebellious behavior, I decided to threaten him by saying he would go to the heat chamber if he were to fail the test. Furthermore, I gave him a time limit. It seemed to make him panic, as he made a much greater effort of trying to find the exit. So the heat chamber was not very effective in its original cause, but successfully traumatized the dog. Interesting… although there were no significant changes in a physical sense, I could perhaps utilize his fears and trigger some responses. I have found hope that we can truly suppress the disease. It is only a matter of time…

Day 4

We put him inside a small tank of water. He struggled to stay above the water after a while. There was a great deal of thrashing around, almost pitiful. When it was clear that he had given up, we picked him up with a net. It was remarkable to watch. The disease actually grew in size when faced with danger, helping the host survive. It actually made the host stronger and enabled the dog to survive longer. Maybe it is not stress but perhaps comfort that can stop the disease. I am not sure how I can provide the dog with comfort. It would mean I would have to provide him more freedom, which might be dangerous. At least the disease was responsive to this event, unlike the others.

copper · Post by **copper** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 10:52 pm

Um, that doctor is insane. I can understand heat or cold when dealing with a disease, but a maze? A water tank? That has nothing to do with the immune system.

Good story so far, your grammar is getting much better! Can't wait to see where you take it.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 2:11 pm

Thank you! As a non-native speaker of English, I sometimes confuse grammar rules in English with other languages.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Ralph: No slacking! After two hours you will be done for the day. Do not rest just yet, work diligently until the bell tolls and you will be rewarded with well-deserved dinner.
Fido: Ralph.
Ralph: Ah! Fido is that you? Have the dead rolled out of their coffins?
Fido: Yes, it is me. I came back to restore my position as leader. And… no, I was never dead.
Ralph: Well, you were gone for quite a long time. I naturally assumed you were dead; this is the first time in four weeks I talked to you.
Fido: I’m back now, aren’t I? You can stop ordering everyone now.
Ralph: *grumbles*

Ralph noticed Fox standing behind Fido. Fox would have been hidden from Ralph’s view if it were not for his elongated tail.

Ralph: So you brought the traitor with you! Has he come crying for repentance? Does he seek to cleanse himself from all his past wrongdoings?
Fido: What are you talking about? Fox is neither a criminal nor a traitor.
Ralph: That’s what you think. First he eats all our food and ignores all his duties like a bum! Then he comes back and steals all our precious equipment!
Fido: What? He stole from us?
Fox: I’m not a thief, I swear!
Ralph: He still occasionally filches our food as if he was insulting us!
Fox: No, I haven’t even come close to your food!
Fido: How do you know it was Fox that stole your equipment? Are you sure that it isn’t someone else?
Ralph: I made no mistakes. It was the scent of a dog.
Fido: How are you sure it isn’t some other dog?
Ralph: Because all dogs with half a brain wants to be part of our clan! You see, Fido, right when you were missing and I ran the whole clan, there was a massive surge of dogs wanting to be integrated into our glorious society. Everyone that joined seemed to find their new home quite enjoyable and did not complain about working. Fox is the only one that decided to leave because he could not handle any task that I gave him. A lazy bum like him must have had trouble surviving alone. It is no surprise that he resorted to stealing from us.
Fido: He left? But he told me you kicked him out.
Ralph: Ah, so the thief is also a liar!
Fido [Glancing at Fox]: Liar or not, I lived with Fox and I know everything that he did in the past weeks; he did not even come close to the base. He was doing fine without you. He could get food and find shelter without your help. He has much more useful skills than you would imagine.
Ralph: If that is the case, why has he come back now?
Fido: He didn’t want to come back, I made him follow me.
Ralph: Do you think I give two READ HOUSEPETS about Fox? He’s not coming back, he decided to leave and I suggest that he never show his face here again.
Fido: Well I’m the leader and I can override anything you decide! So guess what, Fox is staying.
Ralph: Such defiance! Have you forgotten who Sgt. Ralph is?
Fido: I remember who Sgt. Ralph is. You are not the sergeant I know and respect.
Ralph: muffins and cookies you! [Pointing at Fox] muffins and cookies you too! I have my eye on you, boy. You better not make a wrong move.
Fox: Or what?
Ralph: Or you will die by my paw.

****************************************************

Day 5

I wonder if the diet has anything to do with the severity of the disease. So far the dog has been fed twice a day and given a water bowl to drink from. If I were to starve the dog, would it have a drastic effect on the disease? I must make sure the dog is emaciated and write down any observations. Since this is the first day of his starvation, there are no notable differences in size or attitude. He is a slightly more irritable, but otherwise nothing significant has occurred. I’ve allowed him to roam about in the playroom. I made sure that the exits were barred to prevent him from escaping, but otherwise he was free to stretch about. This experiment does not involve the usage of any machine, so the dog was allowed to relax in the playroom… for now.

*****************************************************

Ralph: So you think you can just come here after weeks and take over? You irresponsible, lousy… what were you doing with Fox anyway? Why didn’t you come back like you were supposed to?
Fido: I crashed the car and found Fox in the marshes.
Ralph: You what!? Do you still have your cellphone?
Fido: It broke along with the crash.
Ralph: You really are irresponsible! What did you do to crash it?
Fido: Uh…
Ralph: Never mind… why did you stay there for so long?
Fido: I was lost.
Ralph shook his head in disapproval
Ralph: Really? I question your ability to lead us. What happened to King?
Fido: He… died.
Ralph: Along with the crash, I bet.
Fido: No. Someone shot him while we were in the marshes. Either that or he shot himself. I don’t really know what happened.
Fox: Bino died too.
Ralph: (Did that muffins and cookies fool drink the poison himself?)
Fido: No, he’s not dead!
Fox: But you told me…
Fido: Nooo~! He’s right next to us, can’t you see!
Ralph: Where?
Fido: Can’t you hear him? He’s talking to me right now!
Ralph: Where the hell is he, then?!
Fido: Right here!
Fido pointed to his head.
Ralph: … And he’s gone insane.
Fox: Are you okay, Fido?
Fido: I’M FINE!
Fox: …

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