SilverVale Novel - Chapter 6 (Patreon)

Nera meets a fan and Taffi learns a new language. PDF of the novel up until now in the attachments.

Chapter 6

Marla sat alone in her filthy apartment. Take out containers and half-empty bottles of various liquids lined the floor. She sat in her hardline chair, using it to surf the HiveNet. Marla made her way through news articles, porn sites, and fandom forums. The netpages flipped before her sunken diamond shaped pupils. Nothing stimulated her anymore. Nothing motivated her. She had cashed in enough money as a breeding bun that as long as she didn’t live lavishly, all her needs would be met for the next ten thousand years at least. She was never one for flashy trinkets or big penthouse apartments. All she needed was her food, her chair and something exciting to do.

While Marla was flipping through music videos, she stumbled across one for a band called Full Moon. The title was “Crescent Queen”. It had only a few hundred views and not a single comment. Marla shrugged and hit play. It started with a long guitar screech that sent chills up the mochibun’s spine. A killer riff rang out and the drums teased the pace with a few cymbal hits. The drummer played a quick fill as the bass warmed things up. Finally a piano played an enticing melody that hooked Marla in. The camera showed four naked canines as they played their instruments. Between their bodies and the beat, Marla thumped her feet against the floor, her eyes wide with big hearts. She smiled as she swayed along with the song, lost in the story the music told. There were no lyrics but Marla understood the band perfectly. She felt their pain, their triumph, their joy. The song swelled to a big finale that stimulated her senses. Once the song ended, the band bowed their heads together and said “Thank you.” before the video cut.

Marla smiled. For the first time in a very long time, she genuinely smiled. The algorithm read the dopamine rush and sent a notification that Full Moon was playing a show tonight right here in SilverVale. Marla paid the thousand claws for the ticket and rushed out to make it on time. She telepathically called a hovertaxi that scooped her up the moment she stepped out of her apartment. 

“You sure you wanna take this ride?” asked the driver. “It’s gonna be seven thousand claws to get there.”

“I’ll pay double if you step on it.” Marla said.

“Roger roger!”

The taxi sped off into the sky, dodging a weaving through the heavy traffic. Marla’s body pressed into the seat as the driver floored it toward her destination. It was a warehouse on the outskirts of district twelve. The taxi landed in front of a sketchy scene with several gangsters and junkies milling about. Marla hopped out of the cab and telepathically sent the doubled amount to the driver.

“Wait!” said the driver. “You gonna be alright around here?”

Marla looked back at him and smiled. “I can take care of myself.”

She darted off to the dilapidated warehouse. The windows were busted and old torn advertisements were coated in graffiti. A big black dragon bouncer leaned against the door with his arms crossed, snoozing. Marla stepped up to the door. “Excuse me?” she said. The bouncer did not stir. Marla cleared her throat and tried again. “Excuse me!” The dragon jolted awake and looked around before turning his head down at the tiny white rabbit standing in front of him. Marla pulled out her holophone, showing a ticket. “I’m here for the show.” The bouncer scanned her ticket and gestured for her to go inside. Marla walked onto an almost empty dance floor. A handful of fans were scattered around the warehouse, chatting and milling about. The instruments were all set up on stage. Marla eyed a silver guitar sitting stage right. It was the same one that she saw in the video.

Soon the lights dimmed and a soft white mist flowed from the stage. The fans cheered as they packed in closely. Marla followed the flow and got the perfect view font and center. The guitarist teleported into position and started playing that long familiar screech. The drummer flashed in with a crackle of lightning and set the pace. The bass player appeared through a burst of flame and filled in the sound. The keyboardist popped in through a tornado of flower petals and carried the melody. Marla’s neurons fired off in a cocktail of excitement as she cheered the band on. She bounced to the beat, eyes locked onto that canine with the white fur strumming away on the guitar.

Marla sat in the grass, deep in the forests of Bravia, feeling the phantom sense memory of the first time she saw Full Moon live. She rode out the high of the memory, thumping her feet to the beat. She glanced at her holophone; any second now, the guitarist should teleport in. Marla settled back into her current reality, listening to the birds chirping, the leaves rustling in the wind, the stream flowing in the distance. She wondered how the creatures here would adapt? How many of them would survive?

At 0800 hours on the dot, Marla saw a white canine with blue highlights teleport on the exact coordinates she had sent. She wore a blue dress with silver trim and wielded a sheathed katana in her hand. The folf had a stern look in her eyes as she stared Marla down. The mochibun felt a delightful shiver run up her spine.

“Glad you could make it, Nera.” Marla said.

“Where are my friends?” growled Nera.

“Patience girl. Patience. It’s all about the anticipation. It makes the payoff all that much sweeter.”

Nera drew her blade. “I won’t ask again!”

Marla sighed. “Damn. No love for theatrics anymore?” Nera teleported behind Marla and swung at the rabbit’s neck. “Sit!” Nera froze just an ilp away from chopping off Marla’s head before planting her butt on the ground.

Nera struggled to stand. “What the hell is this?”

Marla giggled. “You’re gonna give me a private show. I hope you still remember the notes.”

Nera squirmed on the ground, desperately trying to force her way back to her feet. Her footpaws furiously kicked up the grass. Her butt remained on the ground. Marla smiled at Nera, slowly reaching her hand out towards the canine. 

“I’ve waited years for this moment.” Marla said.

Nera flailed about in the grass whimpering before closing her eyes and accepting whatever came next. Marla gently placed her hand on top of Nera’s head and started petting away at her. Nera slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the rabbit. Marla’s face wore a warm expression and kind smile that put Nera at ease. Nera wagged her tail as she leaned her head in closer. Marla really got in there, rubbing away at Nera’s head and scratching behind her ears. The longer Marla stayed in contact with Nera, the better the petting felt. A warm tingle crept along the canine’s body, pushing her closer and closer to the peak of pleasure. Right before Nera went over the edge, Marla pulled away. Nera whimpered in frustration.

“Not yet.” Marla teased. She took a step back from Nera and drew a circle in the ground. A portal of blue light appeared in the grass. Nera’s eyes went wide. The portal Marla drew was the exact same energy signature as Nera’s. Marla reached into the portal and pulled out a silver guitar. She stepped up to Nera and handed her the instrument. “I saw your old guitar on sale a few years back. I figured I’d keep it safe for you.”

Nera gently cradled the guitar. “The portal, how did you do that?”

“I was born with the ability to copy powers.” Marla said. “The longer I touch someone, the longer I can use their abilities. With enough exposure, the effect becomes permanent.”

“Is that what happened at the bank? Did you steal Captain Yagi’s powers?”

Marla pouted. “I didn’t steal anything. The good captain let me use his power for a little experiment.”

“What kind of experiment?”

“It’s quantum in nature so telling you too much too early might alter the results. For now, let’s focus on what’s really important.” Marla pointed at the silver guitar. “I want to hear you play.”

Nera huffed. “And if I don’t?”

“Consider it a personal favor to me. Play one song and I’ll help you find the rest of the band.”

Nera weighed her options. If Marla meant any harm, the rabbit had ample opportunity to strike. Nera took the time to scan Marla’s body properly, taking in as much data as she could using her eye augmentations. The rabbit’s heartbeat and breathing were calm. Her ki was warm and inviting. Nera felt a lingering sense of unease. While the costs of playing were uncertain, the costs of not playing were clear. Nera sighed.

“Fine. One song.”

Marla squealed gleefully and clapped her hands together. “Can you play ‘Crescent Queen’?”

“Sure. Whatever it takes.”

Marla set Nera free, allowing the canine to stand back up. Nera strummed each of the strings with her thumbclaw. The guitar was tuned perfectly to the song. Nera fooled around a bit, playing a few notes to get a feel for it again. Soon she played that familiar long screech and started strumming away. Marla sat in the grass staring at her idol with sharp black diamonds in her eyes. As Nera played, Marla’s irises flickered and glitched. The diamond shape eventually gave way to a pair of big black hearts. It held for the briefest of moments before flickering back to diamonds. The song finished up and Marla stood to applaud the performance.

“Thank you Nera. I’m glad to see you’ve still got it.” Marla drew another portal and pulled out a black duffel bag. “The rest of the band is in the center of a massive tree five malps south of here.” She tossed the bag to Nera. “You’re going to need these to protect yourselves from the mist.” Nera unzipped the bag. Inside were a pile of gas masks suited for four canines and a bird with a long beak. “I’d recommend finding that flamingo first before saving the others. The empire is out in full force so you’ll need her help to fight your way in.”

“The empire?” Nera said. “What are they doing all the way out here?”

“An experiment.” Marla said. “One I can tell you everything about.”

***

Taffi stumbled blindly through the forest, carving notches into the trees. Her nose was completely stuffed and her eyes swollen shut. The allergies had worsened to the point that she was navigating by feel and sound alone. Taffi tripped on a root and caught herself on a nearby tree. She felt the bark and counted three notches on different sides.

“God fucking dammit! I’m walking in circles!” Taffi slumped against the tree, coughing and wheezing from the foreign irritant in the air. Her empty stomach groaned. A queasy ache hit her belly. Taffi kept trying to reach out to anyone through The Gaggle. She only got static and silence in return. The HiveNet gave similar results. Whatever was in the air was blocking all wireless communications. Taffi idly rubbed her hand against the roots of the tree. She perked up as an idea sparked in her mind. Taffi split her hand into dozens of thin pink tendrils. She jammed them into the soil and slowly stretched them underground. She felt around in the planet’s crust, taking great care not to damage the life that inhabited it. When she found a root to a tree or plant, she gently coiled one of her tendrils around it and continued branching off. Vibrations and chemical signals radiated off of the various plants. Taffi didn’t know how to speak tree but this was the best time to learn. As the flamingo’s roots spread further and deeper, she got a better picture of the world around her. She sensed the millions of insects moving through the soil. She felt thousands of tiny mammals burrowing through the ground. She could hear the sound of running water. Taffi stretched her roots closer and closer toward the sound until one of her tiny tendrils dipped into a nearby stream. “Finally!” She sighed.

Taffi detached her arm from the roots that she had created. The pink underground network stayed intact and gave Taffi perfect vision of her surroundings despite her irritated eyes. She bounced through the forest, sneezing and sniffling the entire way. She could hear the sound of a waterfall off in the distance. Taffi came across a clearing with a river that ran over a cliff. Once Taffi reached the stream, she dunked her head into the water and rubbed her eyes. She drank deep and shot some of the water back out of her nostrils. She repeated the process again and again until her sinuses were clear and her sight returned. Taffi watched the little furred fish swim in the stream around her. She smiled at the cute critters before snapping her beak on them and swallowing them whole. It was a far cry from the catered cuisine granny gave her but she didn’t complain. Taffi gladly gobbled down the tiny villopi that swam in the water. She felt something cold and metallic press against her back. Taffi grumbled and pulled her head out of the water. “What? I’m eating!” An imperial soldier stood behind her with the barrel of their gun in Taffi’s back. Taffi looked around to see over a dozen soldiers surrounding her with their guns drawn. She sighed and crossed her arms. “Let me guess. These are the empire’s fish? Well I’m not sharing.” Taffi heard the soldier behind her screech as a splash of warm fluid coated the flamingo’s back. “Okay fine I’ll share! Drama queen.”

Taffi turned around and saw the soldier hunched over while clutching the bloody stump that used to be their hand. Orange blood spewed forth from the soldier’s arm and pooled underneath them. The other soldiers scanned the area in search of what caused the injury. Another soldier screamed as he was cut cleanly in half. Taffi rubbed her chin as she eyed the dismembered hand still clutching the plasma rifle. “No, they’ve probably heard that one before. Hmm…” The soldiers panicked, their heads darting all around trying to catch a glimpse of what was attacking them. All they saw was a white blur dart past as four more soldiers crumpled to the ground in a rainbow of blood. Taffi stayed focused on the hand. “No, that one’s too lazy.” Soldier after soldier fell until the final three remained. They stood back to back, their bodies twitchy and their breathing uneven. A twig snapped and all three soldiers unloaded their magazines in the general direction of the noise. Soon their empty guns clicked as they desperately tried to fire more rounds. A blue portal opened up underneath one of the guards, sucking them in and closing up behind them. A distant scream echoed throughout the forest. The remaining two guards examined where the portal had opened, poking the grass with their rifles. Another portal opened up above them and spat out a helmet leaking lime green blood. A sadistic giggle came from all sides.

“Fuck this shit!” said one of the guards. They darted off into the forest, leaving their fellow soldier behind.

“Wait!” said the other soldier.

“Nope! Nope nope nope…” said the running soldier. Their footfalls got quieter and quieter before eventually going silent. The final soldier shakily scanned the area, their back to the cliff. As they reached the edge, they heard a scream come from above. The soldier turned around to see their comrade who had run away falling down the steep chasm. Their screams echoed all the way down until they were silenced by a meaty thunk.

The final imperial soldier tossed their gun and removed their helmet. It was a grey masculine shark that had a special breathing apparatus attached to his gills. He put up his hands and got on his knees. “I surrender! I’ll tell you whatever you want! I’ll do whatever you want! Please!” His voice cracked as he quivered in his boots. A portal opened up before the shark and Nera fell through it and landed a few falps away. Her blue and silver dress was coated in a colorful palette of blood. She wore a black gas mask fitted for her long canine snout. Nera stood before the soldier, wordlessly observing him, wondering if he knew what he’d done. She tapped the side of her mask and gestured to the imperial helmet on the ground. The gears started to turn in the scared shark’s brain as he hurriedly put his helmet back on. Taffi still stood staring at the severed hand before snapping her fingers. She struck a triumphant pose and whipped her head to look at Nera.

“Looks like you handled this situation quite we-ack!” Taffi’s one liner was cut off by her violent coughing. She hacked and wheezed while doing her best to fend off another loud sneeze. Nera tossed Taffi a gas mask which the flamingo fastened on her face. Taffi took long deep breaths before standing strong again. “Ah the moment’s lost. Hiya Nera! What brings you to the middle of nowhere?”

Nera blushed. “I kinda got lured here by a crazed horny bunny. After having me play a song, she told me the empire was running experiments on our friends. Apparently the mist is a natural mind-numbing compound from a distant system. After enough exposure, it turns its victims into aimless mindless zombies.”

“Huh.” said Taffi. “All it did was trigger my allergies.”

Nera tilted her head. “What are you allergic to?”

“Oh all kinds of things. Ancient artifacts, lost treasures, secret documents.”

“That’s… an odd list.”

The shark soldier stood up. “It sounds like you’re allergic to dust.”

“Oh yep and dust! Definitely dust.”

Nera sighed. “In any case, we need to go to the source of this mist. Marla gave me the coordinates of where it all began. Apparently they are holding everyone there.”

“Let’s get moving!” cheered Taffi. She turned to the shark soldier. “I’m Taffi. What’s your name?” 

“Samuel.” said the shark.

Nera put a hand on the shark’s shoulder. “So Samuel, are you going to help us… or join your friends?” Nera licked her lips. Samuel stammered out a reply.

“W-well those soldiers weren’t really my friends. They actually picked on me a lot for needing special gear to breathe on land.”

Taffi gasped. “Bullies? In the empire? I am shocked! Shocked I say!”

Samuel chuckled. “I only joined them because I needed the claws. If either of you can help me find a job, I’ll quit the empire for good.”

Nera groaned. “S.P.A.W.S. always has openings but the entrance exams are… brutal.”

Taffi cleared her throat and stood prim and proper. “After an exhaustive evaluation and lengthy background check, I will forward your resume to our being resources department and they will coordinate with our various teams to see if you are a fit with Fossil Fumes.”

Samuel tilted his head. “Fossil Fumes? Never heard of you. What do you do?”

“Well granny started us off as a cosmetics and fragrance company. Since then we have branched out into consumables, apparel, real estate, mining operations, demolitions, weaponry, defence systems, entertainment, home goods, genetic experimentation and quantum fabric manipulation.”

Samuel stood stunned by the diverse list. “H-home goods sounds nice.”

“Great! Consider this raid on an imperial facility your first interview. Now, where do you see yourself in the next five hours?”

Nera giggled at the questioning as she led the group toward the coordinates that Marla had given her.