There was something I learned very quick during my stay in the wasteland. If someone seems overly generous, unusually kind, or in this case, extremely inquisitive about you and your friends, then they're probably up to no good. After my little breakdown, my mind was clouded. I was angry, afraid, and most of all, concerned about the fox who was sticking very close to me.
The thing is, under any other circumstance, I would imagine that Nate would be scared out of his mind, keeping me between him and this Overseer. This time? He's the one who built a wall between the Overseer and me. From the trembles in his body, and how his paws were gripping me, I could tell that he was scared, but right now, I wasn't sure what was scaring him the most. This overly dressed rabbit, or whatever he saw in me right before he opened the Burrow door.
"You see, we've been in full operation ever since the door closed. Our maintenance crew keeps this place running like clockwork, moral is at an all time high, and we've maintained a steady supply of food from our Garden Center."
We were all scared, but none so as Mark and Nate. From what Holly had told me of their Burrow, neither of them were treated well. Nate got the brunt of it, but I could tell that Mark had been hurt by it as well. He stuck nearly as close to Holly as Nate was to me. Holly, however, didn't seemed scared, at least not of the Burrow itself. She was concerned of its impact on Nate and Mark, as I saw her continuously glancing between the two. Her father had not only been the Overseer of their Burrow, but also the instigator of Nate and Mark's pain. She wasn't scared, no, she was spiteful, and I could tell from her voice, she didn't trust this white rabbit one bit.
"That's rather impressive given how old these places are. And you say this is the first time the door opened?"
"Yes. Unfortunately, while we have been able to keep our major systems up and running, it seems that Burrow-Tec never finished installing the internal operation device that controls the door. Our engineers have tried to adapt some of our technology, but eventually it was deemed fruitless to continue, that the 'all-clear' would be our only way to escape this place. That is, until you four showed up."
"Well the… wait, what? You mean…" Holly's voice went from distrust to panic.
"Yes, when you resealed the door, you once again locked all of us, including yourselves in here."
I felt Nate's tail and paws clench tighter upon hearing those words. I felt the burning of a trapped anger flooding into my body. "WHAT?! You fucking mean we're TRAPPED HERE?!" My voice echoed down the corridor, and from the looks of it, I scared everyone, including the Overseer with my sudden outburst.
"Erm. Yes. But it's not so bad here, although…" He looked at both Nate and Mark, scanning them up and down for a moment. "What exactly are you two?"
I think that surprised all of us just as much as I think my outburst did to him.
"What do you mean, what are they? Haven't you seen a fox before?" Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing anything but rabbits here so far.
"Actually. No. At least not in person. You see, our Burrow is but a singular entity. What I mean to say is, we are all rabbits."
"Wait, all rabbits? That's it? No other prey, or even predators?" Holly sounded rather surprised.
"Yes, that's correct. From the Burrow-Tec documents passed down to the Overseers, it seems that we're but one of two identical Burrows, the other one was only occupied by a single predator species. Alas, it doesn't go into much detail beyond the fact that they were monitoring the adaptability of a prey versus a predator. Unfortunately, that's the extent of my knowledge on that matter."
The anger at the sudden realization that we might be trapped in here snapped me out of my stupor, although I could tell that both him and his two guards were suddenly on their toes with how aggressive my tone now was, and I didn't care one bit. "You sure are being open about that. Aren't Overseer documents supposed to be for your eyes only?"
"You seem to be a bit knowledgeable about Overseer processes." Despite his glasses, I could tell he was taking notice of Nate and I's Pip-Boars. "You two from a Burrow by chance?"
There was one other thing I learned in my time out in the wasteland. Never, ever, tell someone you were from a Burrow or else it might come back and bite you on the ass. "No. We simply found a few abandoned ones in our travels. This is the first intact one we've come across."
"Ah, I see. So then those," He was now pointing at our two arm mounted devices, "are simply treasures of a long forgotten past I assume?"
"Yes." I wouldn't give him any more than that.
"I see. Interesting. Well, let's say we continue our little tour, shall we?"
The layout of the place was similar to my own Burrow, only everything was of equal size. There were no tiny doors for rodents, or dedicated furniture either. Everything was at a comfortable level and size for Holly and I. While Nate and Mark were not exactly towering giants, they did have to duck every time we passed through a connecting door. Thankfully most of the rooms were tall enough to allow them to stand comfortably. Or at least as comfortable as this place would let them.
He showed us his office, the observation room, and the security area. I'm not sure if he questioned our potential risk to the Burrow and it's residents, but he took care in informing us of how many security guards were posted throughout the place. Compared to Seventy-Six, this place felt like a prison. My Burrow had one guard per fifty residents. This place was nearly a ten to one ratio.
"Why all the security? You're not expecting trouble, are you?" This couldn't be a response to us, we haven't been here long enough for anyone to enact this much extra security.
"Not in the least. Sure, there have been those who are a little more adamant about leaving this place than others, but to tell you the truth, despite their being no danger, many of my fellow dwellers have a feeling of comfort knowing that they're protected in any emergency. Plus, they're not the gruff types you read in those mystery books, they lead prosperous lives as well. Isn't that right George?"
The guard to his left spoke, his voice rather soft. "That's right Sir. Got a game of cards tonight with some of the folks from Block B."
"Block?" My Burrow was informally segregated between rodent and rabbit, but we didn't have specific areas past that. What type of separation would a rabbit need from another rabbit?
"Ah yes. There are four Blocks within the Burrow. Block A is where my quarters are, along with the quarters for most of the security and their family, the doctors and any one deemed necessary in an emergency. Block B is where the residents who have major tasks reside, such as the cooks, the teachers, mechanics, and others. Block C is where all the residents who don't have a proper place go. You see, we have something called the Career Aptitude Test, or C.A.T. for short. It helps to decide who's best suited for what job. Unfortunately, we only have so many spots open for jobs, so the residents of Block C are where all of those who either are deemed unfit for most duties reside, or those who are placed on backup for if something happens to open up a slot. We may be at peak operation, but accidents and sicknesses do happen unfortunately."
"You make it sound like they're second class citizens."
"Oh, not at all. They have the same freedoms and rights as those in Block A and Block B. Anyone is free to come and go, make friends or even relationships with any of the three Blocks. It's simply a division of labor is all."
"You said there were four blocks?" I could tell he was skirting around the subject.
"I did? Oh my, yes, I did. You see, Block D is, well, it's our quarantine zone. With such a huge population in such close confined quarters, it's easy for a contagion to spread, and the faster it spreads and more rabbits it jumps between, the higher chance that it will mutate into something we cannot easily stop. While it's rare for that to happen, it has happened before. That's why we have a section designed to comfortably house those who are ill until they're treated properly."
"And is there anything like that, now?" If I start to cough, he's getting a bullet to the head.
"Rest easy knowing it has been two-hundred and sixty days since our last reported illness. Although, with your arrival, I'll have to insist that our doctors take a look over you, just to be sure."
"That… sounds logical." Though I'll kill someone before they try to stick Nate or the others with anything suspicious.
The Overseer continued his tour through what I learned was Block A. Just as he said, there were higher position mammals running back and forth performing their duties. Since the medical facility was in this Block as well, we stopped by for an examination before continuing the tour.
The medical technicians looked over Holly and I first, but they didn't spend more than ten minutes between us before saying we were clean. With everything we've been through, I doubted that very much. What struck me as odd was the fact that they spent nearly three times as long looking over Nate and Mark. I started to inquire about it, but the Overseer said that it was simply because their instruments were designed with rabbit physiology in mind, and that adjustments had to be made for another species. Unfortunately that also sounded logical to me. I don't know why, but I didn't trust this place, and part of me just wanted someone to give me a reason to take my frustration out on them. This is the time that I'd expect Holly to take notice and say something, but she was keeping both eyes glued to the brothers just as I was. I don't think she trusted them either.
"Well, it's hard to tell, but I don't believe you two are in any danger of passing a contagion off to us. Honestly, I'm not even sure if a virus or bacterial infection can transfer between species easily. I'll need you two to pay me a visit later today for a follow up."
Mark nodded while Nate just simply followed his brother. Both of them were tense, but that melted away very so slightly once they were near us again. I needed to snap Nate out of his own stupor long enough to figure out a way to leave this place. The Overseer said that they tried to get it to open in the past, but I doubt they had the combined prowess of Nate and I.
After we finished up there, the Overseer lead us into Block B. This is where I realized this Burrow's layout was a bit different than my own. My Burrow was simply two large interconnecting tunnels with a third underneath to house the reactor and other functional equipment. As soon as I saw a Burrow navigation map, I saw how much different this place was. It was like a large circle. The entrance connected to Block A, but then the four Blocks formed an almost circle with only two connection points. A connected to B, which connected to C, and that connected to D. The second one all connected to the same room nestled in the center of the circle.
"And this is our common room."
He opened up a door within Block B that lead to a room who's ceiling was so far up, that they could easily add a second or even a third floor to this area. Just like the Blocks formed a circle around this room, this had its own circular design. He called them Rings. Ring A, the one directly connected to the Blocks contained the entertainment facilities, classrooms, and auditorium.
"So basically every Block has equal access to all these facilities?" I kept trying to make him slip up, to tell me something that I could easily identify him as a bad guy.
"Yes. Past these doors is also the mess hall and Garden Center. While a past Overseer instigated the Block system, it was already designed to allow any of them to be able to come and go from the common areas without having to step foot in another Block. Security and the medical facilities are the few exceptions, of course."
He wasn't going to give me what I wanted, and I hated him even more for that. Yes, I'm sure it's my anger and fear for Nate's safety talking, but nothing would feel better than to have a reason to shoot someone. I really was messed up, wasn't I? If there were any psychiatrists left in the world, they would have a field day with me.
"I'm feeling a bit hungry, could we maybe stop by the kitchen for something to eat?" I wasn't hungry, not in the least and I didn't think the others were in the mood to eat, but the way he was avoiding showing us that one area made the fur on my neck stand on end. I could understand not showing us Block D. If it was truly a quarantine area, it may not be the safest place to be, but the kitchen? Even my Burrow had a cook stationed there at all time.
"I am sorry, but we've had a little… issue with our latest crop. It happens from time to time, but something has infected the food and our botanists are busy trying to figure it out. Rest assured that no one has been affected by said contaminants, we caught it just in time. Unfortunately that means we're on strict rations for the next few days. Although…"
I didn't like how he was suddenly trailing his words.
"…we do have a bit of leftovers from the last crop. We produce so much food that we try to keep some aside for special events, and something tells me that your arrival will call for something of a celebration. We honestly weren't even sure if anyone survived the war. Knowing mammals are still alive and healthy on the outside gives us hope that the Burrow-Tec 'All Clear' can come at any time."
I didn't buy it, but at the same time he still hasn't given me any reason not to trust his word. He was so eloquent, so precise with his words, he sounded just like… him. Maybe that's why I had a sudden distrust of this rabbit. Maybe because deep down, it reminded me of that fucking boar. How he talked, how he held himself. The only thing this asshole was missing was me knocking one of his teeth out. Well, the day isn't over yet.
I tried a few more times to maybe get a small peak at what was going on behind these closed doors, but when one of the security guards put himself between me and the door, that was my hint to leave well enough alone. With so many guards, I highly doubt I'll get the chance to investigate myself. I could use the Stealth-Boar, but I refuse to leave the others alone, even for a moment. I'll have to trust this rabbit. For now.
Finally we were brought back to Block A. He said Block C was only living quarters, and one room looked the same as all of them. We were to be staying in Block A, in the guest quarters between his own quarters and security. I inquired about a guest quarter if we were their first and only guests, but he simply reworded it saying it was where the family of the Overseer lived, but he hadn't found a mate, nor had children so it's been empty.
This was the part that made my fur stand on end the most. He said that there were two rooms, and they were only designed for two occupants each. It wasn't the fact that he just went against what he said about it being for a family, especially since many of the rabbits we came across had two, three, or even four kids, very few had single children. No, it was the fact that he wanted to separate us. By species.
"I apologize, I simply figured it would be more comfortable to keep the woman together and the men together."
I grabbed Nate close to me, and I noticed Holly doing the same with Mark. "Well you thought wrong. These are our men and they'll be sticking their rabbits, thank you very much. Now, you sure there isn't anyplace else we can stay? Someplace that can fit four mammals in one room?"
"Residency in Blocks B and C are full and Block A was only designed for essential personnel and their families. There is always Block D, but I can't guarantee you won't catch something there. We only sterilize the rooms as needed, otherwise we wouldn't have anything left for our medical personnel to use."
Damn it. We couldn't risk getting some unknown illness. If even one of us got sick, we'd have to spend more time here than I was already willing to accept. "Alright. Fine. But we're sticking together like this, alright?"
"That's acceptable. Here, let me show you to your rooms."
The two rooms were facing each other, with the Overseer's office nestled between them. Inside, it was indeed small. Two beds, neither large enough for Nate to lay without either his head or legs dangling over. Otherwise it was simple. A small area to keep belongings, and a second door that looks as if it connected to the Overseer's office. I instantly walked over to it, but it seemed disabled.
"I keep those doors locked down. No point wasting energy on them if I don't have anyone using the rooms."
"Well, we are here now."
"I don't mean to sound rude, but my security chief would have a fit if I enabled the doors that connected my private quarters with those residing strangers. I hope you take no offense to it."
He had an answer for everything, didn't he? "No, that makes sense. Onion, go with Mark and Holly. I want to make sure we have a way to talk with each other."
"Yes Miss."
"Oh, it talks? I figured it was one of those assistant robots I read about, like the ones reporters used to have for documentation."
"Nope. He's my little bot. Armed to the teeth too. Just saying." A stun baton was a decent weapon, but I wanted to make sure he knew not to mess with them. I know Holly could handle herself, but with Mark and Nate as terror stricken as they were, it might make for any retaliation that much harder if it came to it. I'm just glad that Onion has a self sustaining power supply. I'm gonna want him to keep every sensor active this entire time we're apart.
"I need to go check on a few things and then start preparations for our festivities. I suggest all of you rest, it'll be a few hours at the minimum. I'll personally receive you once it's ready. Until then, rest easy."
The Overseer ushered Holly, Mark, and Onion towards the other room. I saw Holly whisper something while pointing to Onion. My mind was still a bit clouded, but I think she was saying to contact them the moment the Overseer left. Once he left the room, I saw him press something outside and the door closed shut. I moved to the door but the control panel that normally operated the door was dead. I was getting a very bad feeling about this. Before I could bring Onion's direct comm link up on my Pip-Boar, a speaker started to play in the room.
"Greeting guests of the Overseer. This is Chief of Security, Artemus Fletcher. As you may have noticed, the control panel of your rooms has been put into security override. This is simply a security precaution put into place until tonight's event. You are strangers to the Burrow and as Chief of Security, it's my duty to make sure the safety of all of Burrow Eighty-Eight's residents is paramount. You are not prisoners, but you will not be allowed free run of the Burrow without the guidance of either the Overseer, one of my guards, or myself. I do hope you can understand. Chief Fletcher out."
"Well ain't that a good howdy do. I'm not liking this place one bit. How are you holding up sweetie?"
Nate had a wide expression in his eyes. It took a moment for him to realize that we were alone before his eyes started to soften. "S-scared."
I gave him a hug. "I bet. I am too."
"This thing on?"
"Yes Miss Kerrigan. Miss? She keeps poking me."
"I can hear you Holly. How you two holding up?"
"Not good. Well, not good for Marki here. I'm worried for him, but not as much as for Nate. You doing okay there Nate?"
"Y-yes… S-sis…"
Holly sighed. "No, you're not, are you? You only ever call me 'Sis' when you're troubled. Keep an eye on him 'livi. I doubt he'd do anything brash, but then again, I never thought he would be the one opening a Burrow door. Oh and 'livi, don't think I haven't forgotten about your little outburst back in the tunnels. When we get out of here, we need to sit down and have a little 'chat'. Okay?"
"Yes. You better not wear any of your good linen, I don't think our little 'chat' will end without a little waterworks."
"Geeze. Well, you two take it easy. Need to calm down Marki a little."
"Okay. You two take care. Onion? Keep all sensors open at all times. If even a microbe goes out of place, I want to know."
"Yes Miss. I shall keep ever vigilant."
I cut the audio connection for now, but left everything else on. I wanted to know what Onion knows, but I think Nate and I needed to have a little talk of our own in some privacy. I moved towards the bed and motioned for Nate to sit next to me. He looked at me and then I felt his tail wrap around me, as if he was trying to keep me from leaving.
"Nate, sweetie. I know how hard being in a Burrow is to you. Hell, I think I can even… smell it coming from you. Are you going to be okay?"
"I-I… I don't know…"
I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his shoulder. "I won't leave your side. I promise you. We'll also find a way out of here. I don't care if these rabbits really are good, kind mammals. This isn't, and will never be a home to us. I just need you to focus. Between us, we'll be able to find a way out."
"B-but what if w-we can't?"
"We will, even if I have to blow that door off its hinges."
"T-they're pretty strong doors."
"Well they haven't met this crazy rabbit, have they?"
"W-what about the O-O-O…" I could tell he was having a very difficult time saying it.
"Overseer?"
He just nodded.
"I don't like him. Not one bit. But, he hasn't done anything to make me think he's up to no good. Honestly, I was hoping he would. I still want to pay your Burrow for what they did to you and your brother. I think part of me wants this to be part of it."
"Y-you… r-really mean that?"
"Yes, yes I do. And not every Overseer is a mammal to be afraid of either, even if they are a giant ass. Let me tell you a little story. Back in my Burrow, the Overseer there, she was, well… she and my mom used to be friends, but after she died, the Overseer started to change. She didn't try to abuse me, she didn't try to hurt me in any way, but I was slowly going from Jessica's girl to just another resident. It was the day of my C.A.T. exam that changed everything. When I found out I was to be a… sanitation worker, I was furious. If I had a gun then, well I don't think the Overseer would have been alive to hear me rant. I know, a silly little test isn't something to be worked up over, but I wanted to do more, I wanted to be more than just a glorified plumber. Unlike this place, my Burrow wasn't pristine. Years of neglect and shoddy workmanship has left it well below nominal operation levels."
"C-couldn't you h-have her change it?"
"That's exactly what I wanted her to do when I paid her a visit the next morning. I knew she was in there, but she wasn't answering my messages, and when I went to her office, she refused to even acknowledge me. So what did I do? I used my Pip-Boar and hacked into the Burrow communication network and linked it to her personal intercommunication system. I went off on her and everyone could hear it. I think I embarrassed the hell out of her because seconds later she opened the door and told me to shut up and come in quietly."
"Y-you really d-did that?"
"Yeah. I was pissed. She was not a happy rat. Unfortunately she told me she was unable to do anything about it. I didn't believe her of course. I admit, I didn't think about leaving then. No, I thought that maybe if I did a good enough job in my new career that I would be able to have ample time to continue my building and tinkering. Maybe I'd get lucky and all the maintenance guys would suddenly die and I would be able to convince them to let me take over."
"If y-you didn't p-plan to leave then, w-when?"
"I figured I'd give it a try. The next morning it went well enough. My new boss was a rabbit so I figured with how all the rodents looked down on us rabbits, we would become good friends and she would give me some slack. Boy was I wrong. She was a bitch and a half. She didn't trust me to do simple tasks, and when I suggested ways to improve the machinery, she nearly tore my ears off with her yelling. After that she gave me all the worst jobs imaginable. Overflowing toilets? Me. Yearly septic cleaning? Me. Anything that would get me covered head to toe in literal shit, she had me do. That's when I decided I had to leave. I know it's a childish reason compared to yours, but…"
I didn't get to finish before he grabbed me and hugged me. I could tell he was starting to cry. "N-no, it i-isn't… if y-you never left, I w-wouldn't have m-met you."
"You asked me once if I ever regretted leaving the Burrow? After Beaverton, and a few other times, yes, I did. I did so much that once I felt like I should just turn tail and run away, leave this entire fucked up world behind and return to the safety of my Burrow. But you know what? After meeting Holly and Mark, after meeting, you, I never want to go back there. I never want to go anywhere that you didn't belong. I will now, and forever be by your side."
I felt his tears grow more as mine joined. We sat there, encased in each other's arms for a while. Not talking, not moving, just feeling each other's warmth as it protected us, as it bathed us in a comfort that I only ever knew with my mother. After a few minutes of this, I started to feel tired. I checked my Pip-Boar and saw that nothing had changed, there wasn't even any dots within its scanning range. Nate's yawning told me that he was feeling it too. We were both worn out. A little nap wouldn't kill us.
We both moved to lay down, still gripped in each other's arms. I felt safe like this, and something told me that he felt the same right now. As I felt my eyes close I held firm. I will never let him go.
Morning? I think? No, it can't be, it had to be the middle of the night. Damn, this is why I hate being underground. I took a look at my Pip-Boar and saw that we had been asleep for about four hours. I still felt tired, but I was rested enough to feel functional. I felt my stomach rumble. Okay, now I actually was hungry.
"Nate? You up?"
Nothing. Damn that fox and his deep sleeping. I was facing away from him, so I rolled over to try to nuzzle him a bit longer, but other than me, the bed was empty.
"Nate?"
The room was too small for him to be hiding. I looked around, letting my eyes adjust. Nothing. Turning on my Pip-Boar's light reveled nothing as well. Fuck! Where did he go? I doubt he would have just left me. There was no bathroom in here, so maybe there? Wait, where the hell was the bathroom? My heart started to race. I suddenly felt sick.
"Miss!"
"Onion! Nate's gone, is he over there?"
"That's what I was trying to tell you. His Pip-Boar was just removed."
"FUCK! Holly! Mark! You guys okay?"
"Yeah, what's the…" It sounded like she had just woken up.
"NATE'S MISSING!"
I heard a loud noise. "Nate, is missing? Oh no. Oh no."
I ran over to the control panel for the door and started to smash buttons. Nothing was working. I tried to access the communicator but it was also down. I even tried to connect my Pip-Boar to it, but the entire system was currently un powered and without power I couldn't access a single system. Fuck! I ran to get my gun, but it was gone.
"Holly! The door won't open, there's no power to it, and my fucking gun is gone!"
"What? Here let me… yeah same over here. Damn it, it was a trap! How can… Mark! Hand me my gun!"
I was about to ask what she was going to do when a loud noise echoed through the communicator, nearly blowing my speaker. I'm sure Onion wasn't happy being on the receiving end of it either. I didn't hear anything else and my panic levels were rising rapidly. Before I could begin to formulate even the simplest of plans, I heard that gunshot again, but this time it was right outside my door. A second later, Holly and Mark were manually sliding the door open.
"Holly! Mark! We have to find Nate! I don't know how, but I just know he's in trouble!" I was so panicked that those words left me breathing so heavily I felt like I was about to pass out.
"'Livi! Breathe! You can't help him if you give yourself a heart attack! I knew something was fishy about that guy. Who the fuck wears glasses inside?"
"We… need… to…"
My breathing was starting to get the better of me. Before I could even complete my sentence, Mark stabbed me with something.
"It's an adrenaline shot. Should help if only briefly."
I felt my lungs starting to fill up as my heavy breathing subsided. I felt more awake, my mind more focused. It was almost as if I was under the effects of B.A.T.S.
"Better? Now let's go find my brother." He was eerily calm. I don't know if it was his medic mode kicking in, or if his concern for his brother's safety was taking precedence over his own fear of this place.
"Follow me. Holly, got a spare?"
She knew exactly what I was hinting at and tossed me a small pistol. I made sure there was a round in the chamber, grabbed the rest of my stuff and we left the room. Nobody better mess with us or get in the way of finding Nate, or else these metal walls will be stained with their blood. I was not in the mood.
The first thing we did was try to access the Overseer's quarters. Pounding on the door didn't yield any results, so I decided to hack it. I didn't want Holly wasting all of her bullets just trying to open doors that I could actually hack. Thankfully Burrow-Tec was stupid enough to use the same basic encryptions in these doors as they did in my Burrow so popping it open was simple.
Inside the room was very spacious, but it was also devoid of any life. We looked around and didn't see much. Books, papers, random personal belongings, but no sign of where Nate might have been. On his desk, however, were two very familiar things. Firstly was my gun. That proved that Nate didn't just wander off on his own. Someone came in, took him and made sure I was disarmed. The second thing was a small gold coin. I shouldn't be taking my sweet time, but every time I saw one of them, it drew me to it. This one had the picture of a badger on it. The other side read Ferocity. I held it for a second and then placed it in a pocket. That fucker wouldn't miss this.
After we were sure nothing else of importance was here, we started to leave, but not before nearly tripping over something. It was a bag. Nate's bag. I grabbed it and saw that all of his stuff, including his weapon, was inside. It also had his… clothing. The ones that he had just been wearing.
"Okay." I primed my gun, holding it in the other paw. I was keeping the one Holly gave me. "Nate's not here, but his stuff is. I am thoroughly pissed. Onion, where did Nate's Pip-Boar emergency link sound?"
"Near the center of the Burrow."
Center? Well, that's the best thing I've heard all night. "Come on, let's go."
We all ran towards where Block A and the common area connected. There was no one in the halls. Either they were in their rooms, or something else was going on, something that made my fur stand on end this entire time. If they hurt even a single hair on him, no one will be left alive.
We turned the corner to the connecting hallway and there were four guards posted there. The second they saw us they raised their weapons. They didn't fire right away. That was a mistake.
"Pip-Boar, kill."
Before Mark or Holly could stop me I put a bullet into each of their heads. Nate was in trouble. I knew he was in trouble.
"Olivia! Why the hell did you…"
"Shut it! He's in trouble. I know it. I-I… I can smell it. I don't know if it's the fox in me, or a result of the marking, but I know beyond a doubt that he's in trouble, and no one. NO ONE is standing in my way."
I didn't even let her respond to that before I was moving towards the door they were guarding. It was locked as well, but since I was able to get one door open, this one opened in half the time. Inside there were two more guards, but they died before they could even react. Two more appeared and opened fire, and that's when I knew they didn't have simple dart guns. They were using real guns, and for some reason that made my decision all the more justified.
Before I could react to them, I heard the sound of both Mark's gun and Holly's shotgun go off, and they were both down.
"You better be right about this 'livi."
"I have never been so right in my entire life."
We never made it past here, so I didn't know where he could be. We stuck together The thing is, when I said I could smell Nate was in trouble? It wasn't just an expression. I could literally smell it. His faint violet like scent mixed with the same fear I smelled in him earlier, only amplified tenfold. It was so strong that it was almost like a compass telling me where to go. For a second I wondered if Holly and Mark shared the same thing, or if it was because of my mutated genetics. My mind snapped off of that the moment I arrived at a door that his smell was strongest at. On it, it had two words: Garden Center".
"In here. He's in here. I know it."
"Well then, shall we knock?"
I went to hack the door when four more guards approached us. "I need a second!"
"You got it 'livi!"
This one was a bit tougher to unlock. It's design was much older than the other doors. Either it was built before the rest, or it had been re-purposed. Then again it was where the food was grown, so it might have been made so that no one could tamper, or steal, any of the food. After a minute I had it unlocked. When I opened it, the smell of Nate was drowned out by the smell of… blood.
It was so strong, strong enough that I almost puked. I expected grass, fruit, vegetables. No, none of that was here. Instead it there were large chains hanging from the ceiling. Attached to them were… rabbits. Dead, butchered rabbits. I nearly fell to my knees and vomited until I saw him in the center. Tied to a large medical table was Nate, and surrounding him were three rabbits all dressed up in hazard suits, each with a a saw and two large knives. They were… My mind couldn't process it. I knew what was happening, but my brain couldn't believe it was true.
"Nate!"
It was Mark who yelled out as his gun sounded, echoing in the enclosed room. He may not have had the luxury of B.A.T.S., but he dropped the first rabbit with ease. That was enough to snap me out of it. I didn't care what the fuck was happening, I only cared about Nate, and he was right here.
"Pip-Boar, kill."
I took down the other two just as three more guards showed up. I turned, still under the effects and two of them out before my gun clicked. I lifted the one Holly gave me and finished the job.
"Keep an eye out for anyone else! I'm getting Nate."
They were both quiet. I think they both had the same thoughts going through their head as I was. This place, this wasn't attached to a morgue. This wasn't attached to a medical lab, this was attached to a kitchen, and what do you do in a kitchen? Cook.
"Nate! Are you okay?"
He was awake, and he was more terrified than I ever saw him, but he wasn't hurt. I didn't even see a cut on him. I had gotten up just in time. After removing his restraints, I eased him off the table. I turned to tell them we were leaving, now, but my heart sank when I saw both Mark and Holly in the arms of two security rabbits, and standing between them? The Overseer.
"Well, well. Looks like you discovered our little secret. Pity. I was really hoping to introduce you two rabbits to the flock."
"What the FUCK is going on?" B.A.T.S. had just worn off, and I needed to buy time. Without it, I might risk injuring Mark or Holly.
"Isn't it obvious? We've grown accustom to a bit of a… distinct taste, out of need of course."
"How the fuck do you need to eat your own kind?"
"Easy. We are rabbits after all, and what do rabbits do best? Well, we reproduce, but for some reason, no matter what precautions we put into effect in the past, our reproduction rates have increased tenfold over what is considered normal for our species. Where a standard rabbit would give birth to one to four at a time, many of our females are giving birth to five, six, even ten at a time. This place was only designed to house five hundred at best, but we used to have thousands. The Overseers before me agreed that there was only one way to quell the population that was guaranteed to work. We needed to become… predators."
"That's disgusting!"
"That's necessity."
"Why Nate? WHY THE FUCK NATE?!"
"Like I said, it's just been rabbits, so a new addition to the menu? You should have seen how the residents drooled over the prospect of something different. You can only prepare rabbit so many ways before it eventually becomes old."
"Who the fuck decides who becomes dinner?" Twenty more seconds. That's all I needed.
"C.A.T. of course. One of the Overseers figured out a way to modify it. You see, we still need capable mammals to keep the place as well kept as possible, so they're never chosen. The weak, the frail, the unintelligent, they are always the ones who fail the test, and they get moved over to Block D, or the 'farm' as we've come to call it."
"I've met some despicable mammals in my time, but you are by far the worst."
"I didn't create this, I simply see the necessity to keep it going. You can't fault me for wanting to keep my people healthy and happy, can you?"
"One last question. How did you capture them?"
"You make it sound like you're going someplace. You're not the only one with Pip-Boars, and I'm sure you are familiar with a Stealth-Boar. All of our guards have them."
Three. Two. One. "You're wrong. We are going someplace. Pip-Boar, kill."
The two guards holding my friends were dead before they could react. I went to shoot the Overseer, but he must have been ready for this because he vanished. Either it was a hologram, or he activated a Stealth-Boar, but either way, I had to get them out of here.
"T-that… I can't…"
"It's okay Holly. Let's just get the fuck out of here."
Nate was still frozen, but with me next to him, he was able to finally start moving, even able to reattach his pip-boar. He kept closer to me than I thought possible, but I wanted that. I would not leave his side until we were gone and someplace safe.
Two more guards appeared but at this point, Mark and Holly weren't hesitating on shooting. We only killed those in our way or were a direct danger to us, but that seemed to be nearly every guard in the place. We finally made it to the entrance. He lied about a lot of things, so I bet he was lying about us not being able to leave.
"Cover us! We're gonna try to get the door open."
"You got it 'livi!"
I plugged my Pip-Boar into the terminal and started working. This was much more secure than I remembered my own Burrow being. I couldn't find the proper connections that I needed.
"Nate! You need to help, I was much more prepared when I left my Burrow. I can't do this alone."
He seemed to react to me asking for help. "Y-yes…"
He connected his as well as we both worked on the door access. It took a few minutes, all the while I could hear active gunfire behind us. Finally we were able to get it to work as the familiar lights and klaxon's started to go off.
"Don't let them escape!" The Overseer had made himself known again. I turned around wanting to blow his head off but he was nowhere to be seen.
"We got the door! Hurry let's get the fuck out of here!"
I grabbed Nate and we ran as fast as we could towards the door as it slowly opened.
"What about the Corpse Engines?" Holly reminded me that they might have still been on the other side.
"This is the immediate danger!"
We were almost at the door when I heard a clicking noise from the ceiling. I turned to see a mounted turret drop out of the ceiling with a gun that looked a lot like the ones on the APC. It turned right towards me. B.A.T.S. was down, and I didn't have anything with me powerful enough to take that out. I went to move out of the way, but my foot got caught on the bars that made up the small walkway connecting the door.
"Fuck! I'm stuck!"
The gun had finally stopped moving as it pointed at me, ready to fire. I was about to tell Nate to go, to save himself when his eyes grew wide, but not out of fear. He looked back towards the gun that I was staring at, then I heard him whisper.
"Sacrifice."
He had no weapon, what was he going to… the gun fired but Nate moved… fast, agile, it was like he was under… He jumped right in front of me as the bullet made contact with him. I… I saw… his arm… vanish.
"NATE!"
I finally got my foot free as I ran over to him. Blood was flooding out of what remained of his arm, everything from the shoulder was missing. I felt terrified, I felt angry, I felt…
A loud explosion sent bits of the turret flying. I looked at Holly and Mark, but they were just frozen, looking at Nate's body in my arms. The sound of loud metal clinking across the floor made me turn. It was… Guardians?
"Olivia!"
That voice. Was that a… giraffe? Jasmine?
"Clear the room! Jasmine, get Nate! Zack, Francis, take care of those hostiles!"
It was Stalker Logan. Two more Guardians, an elephant decked out in Defender armor, and an equine, in gear similar to Logan's both opened fire on the guards. Jasmine slowly picked up Nate. I wanted to tell her to be careful, to not hurt him, but I couldn't speak. I couldn't even comprehend what happened. Nate, he… he could be…
"I got you Olivia."
I felt my body lift off the ground, my arms and legs limp against my sides.
"We got them! Okay Guardians! Move out!"
The elephant stood in front of us as Jasmine carried Nate and I out. I didn't even look back to see where Holly or Mark were. The only thing I could do was to stare at the bleeding stump where Nate's arm once was. He, he threw himself into the gun to protect me… I should have been the one protecting him. I should have never let them take him.
If he died… no, he can't die. He just can't die, because if he died, I don't know if I could go on living.
Fallout: Zootopia After Show
Featuring:
'Stripes in the Morning'
[Stripes]
"Good Morning Zootopian Wasteland! This is Stripes with Stripes in the Morning! That chapter was a bit of a ride, wasn't it? The next few chapters will really, how should I put it, showcase the fact that Olivia is more mentally broken then ever, but that's for then, and this is now.
"The introduction of a new Burrow, despite how… vile it ended up being, brings up a few things to you I am sure. One of which is the age old question, are Burrows really there for our protection? That folks, is a double-edged question. Yes, there are some Burrows that were genuinely built to allow for the future reputation of the mammalian race. I won't go too much into that aspect yet, mainly because telling you that would spoil a few things, namely who really started the war, but there are some stuff I can start to share with you folks now.
"So far we have seen, or at least heard of, four Burrows. Burrow Seventy-Six, home of our heroine, Burrow Ninety-Three, home to Nate, Mark, and Holly, Burrow Eighty-Eight, home to… well you saw, and Burrow twenty-one. 'Now hold up Stripes', you may be asking, 'when did you introduce Burrow Twenty-One?'. Well, it was there, but it wasn't as pronounced as the others. Remember everyone's favorite boar to hate? That was a Burrow, specifically Burrow Twenty-One that he was performing his experiments in before he was forcefully evacuated. That place is now a deathwing lair, so I would advise against going there.
"So, let me start off by telling a little overview on something. There were about one hundred and twenty two Burrow created, that we know of. Some Burrows have surfaced that were not on the master list, so there may be many more than that, not including the Burrows in other countries that were created by their own governments without the help of Burrow-Tec. You might think that Burrow One would be at the heart of it all, but that is not exactly true. Burrow One was designed to house all the leaders of this country, all the mammals within the government that were flagged as necessary for the reestablishment of a civilized world. Just like most Burrows, that one never opened up, and not even it's location is known. Then there is Burrow Zero. This was the true heart of the Burrow System. It housed not only the president of Burrow-Tec, but also the lead scientists, engineers, and others who had full access to everything within the company and the Burrows.
"There were ten control Burrows who were left to operate normally with no direct, or indirect interference from Burrow-Tec or it's Overseer's. They were given basic rules and filled with an equal variety of species, given complete freedom to grow as they choose fit. The other ones were not as lucky. Now, before you ask, no, Burrow Seventy-Six and Burrow Ninety-Three were not control Burrows. They had experiments within them, but not nearly as severe as other Burrows.
"Ninety-One was much more harsh an experiment than Olivia's Burrow. As you may have already guessed, it was designed to test the line between predator and prey by giving prey all the power and suppressing the predators by it. Sure, it was a partial experiment in division by oppression, but there was a much more complex experiment going on underneath. Since the predator/prey relationship has been very rocky, since well, ever, Burrow-Tec wanted to see how far predators could be pushed before they finally pushed back. Let's just say that the predators have finally pushed back, but that's for another chapter.
"Burrow Seventy-Six was a very similar experiment to Ninety-One, but it never got as violent as that other Burrow. Besides division through predator and prey, there were other divisions, such as division by size. The bigger mammals have always picked on the smaller ones just for being small. There is at least two Burrows that have elephants and giraffes living side by side with raccoons, wolves, and other smaller-than-them species. One gives the power to the larger species, and the other gives the power to the smaller species. Burrow Seventy-Six was basically the same premise. Rodents of all species living with rabbits. Sure, the size differences were no where near the differences between an elephant and a raccoon, but the difference here is that the others had a balanced population of big to small, Seventy-Six did not. There were a six to one ratio of rodents to rabbits, and rodents were given absolute power. That C.A.T. exam that Olivia took at the start of the story? It was rigged by Burrow-Tec in the rodents favor.
"Now, you might ask, 'But rabbits reproduce at an alarming rate, why did they never overtake the rodents?'. That is a very good question, and that leads me into Burrow Eighty-Eight as well. Burrow-Tec thought of that. You see, almost every Burrow that houses a species that is known to proliferate at a higher speed than others has a chemical added to their water supply. It's completely harmless and serves only one purpose. Reducing conception rates. Olivia's Burrow had it, which is why the rabbits were still in such small number compared to the rodents. Now, normally it would have allowed a rabbit to have twins or triplets, but Seventy-Six was given an increased dosage, that was genetically designed to target a rabbit's reproduction, not a rodents, that basically left rabbits being able to birth one, two if they are really fertile, children every few years.
"Burrow Eighty-Eight, however, was the complete opposite. That chemical was completely left out of the water supply. Eighty-Eight's population cap was supposed to be five-hundred like most typical Burrows, and they started out with just shy of four-hundred rabbits when the doors sealed. Now that number is over a thousand. It is impossible to feed that many rabbits without resorting to… well, you saw. The whole separation of the Burrow into Blocks? That was not of Burrow-Tec design, but rather one of the past Overseer's decision.
"Now, let's return to Burrow Twenty-One. Long before it was taken over by Baird for his… experiments, it had a rather nasty one itself. Many Burrows had their Overseer chosen from within Burrow-Tec due to the nature of the Overseer needing to know the experiments going on within. Burrow Twenty-One's Overseer, however, was not. He was chosen through a contest. He had no leadership background, no prior knowledge of Burrow-Tec's true purpose, he was, simply put, an average citizen with no defining traits.
"Why pick such a mammal to run an entire Burrow? Well, unbeknown to the new Overseer, there was no Burrow to run. At least, no people. You see, Burrow-Tec decided to run an experiment on forced solidarity. The Burrow was built using a very similar layout to other standard Burrows, with one exception. The Overseer's office was the only room. Remember when Olivia noticed that the doors were simply pictures plastered on the wall? That's because the Burrow was never built to have rooms outside the Overseer's office. Burrow-Tec built vacant halls that meandered like a maze to the Overseer's office which was located at the center of this maze. Realistic doors were printed up as posters and slapped throughout the Burrow to give it the impression that it had plenty of space.
"Why didn't the new Overseer figure this out before it was too late? It was quite simple really. He was so excited to be chosen, not just to lead the future of mammal-kind, but to also be guaranteed safety in the war. Burrow-Tec representatives picked him up in a limo, treated him to a luxurious dinner at one of Zootopia's most expensive restaurants, and then given a 'tour' of his new Burrow. Filled with excitement and food, he never did once question why they were showing him his new office before the rest of the Burrow. And boy, did that office come stocked. Most Overseer's offices have the basic essentials. Emergency supplies, manuals giving an overview of both the Burrow's operations and the Overseer's task, and your basic office supplies, along with what ever the Overseer brings themselves. This one, however, was decked out with the latest gadgets and gizmo's. A seventy-two inch high definition television. Every gaming system known to mammal. A library filled with thousands of books of various genres. It even had it's own personal kitchen, stocked with fresh food, along with non-perishable emergency rations, and his own personal bathroom, complete with a spa and steam room.
"Burrow-Tec told him that they would give him a few hours to get acclimated with his position before the 'residents' started to arrive, that he should take the time to go over the Burrow and Overseer's manuals. In his excitement, he never saw the representatives leave. After that, he never saw anyone else ever again. Burrow-Tec sealed him in, alone. It only took a few hours before he started to realize that he was alone. He tried to find the others, but there was no one. It took him another day to finally realize that the doors were all fake, that there was no rooms, and that the main entrance was sealed. Since he was never given a Pip-Boar, he had no way of getting the door open, and all communications leaving the Burrow were severed. Sure, Burrow Zero was still monitoring him, but he had no way to call for help. Surprisingly he managed to live for a few years before succumbing to starvation, his insanity his only friend.
"As for Burrow Zero. Months after the war, something happened and all communications between that Burrow and the rest was severed. I have no idea why, and even I don't know where Burrow Zero is located. Only a hoof-full of mammals knew it's location, and they are most certainly all dead, but then again, you never know.
"Well, that is all I have for today. I only covered the Burrows that were introduced so far, but in the future I will plan to talk more about them, and a few others that have managed to pop up here and there, so until then, take care folks!"