SilverVale Novel - Chapter 7 (Patreon)

Nera, Taffi and Sam breach the imperial facility and contend with the evil Doctor Ferrus. Full novel in attachments!Chapter 7

Stella woke up on The Otherside. Her usual canine body was once again replaced by a round rabbit-like form. She stood on top of a hill covered in long purple grass. The foliage spread out for malps and malps as far as her eyes could see. She tried to think about how she could have lost consciousness on Eris. She remembered the teleporter in SilverVale, being in a misty forest and then everything went black. This time, Stella spawned inside of friendly territory. A couple of her own soldiers spotted her on the hill.

“Mistress! It’s good to see you again!” said one of the soldiers. Stella’s army wore orange and black armor that mimicked her fur pattern. They even had stars on their shoulders and purple streaks in their helmets. One of the big burly soldiers picked Stella up and carried her on their shoulder. The soldier’s armor was scarred and stained from several harsh battles. Stella sat there on his scratched pauldron perched like a bird as the soldiers continued their guard duty.

“How goes the battle on the frontlines?” Stella asked. 

“We push them further back every moment we can. It’s gotten to the point that the other factions have signed a truce with each other in order to take us down directly.”

The soldier in new shiny armor spoke. “They can’t agree on shit though.” He spat on the ground. “As they waste time debating on which target of ours to strike, we continue to take out their ability to make strikes. The war shouldn’t be much longer.”

The veteran soldier let out a deep belly laugh. “Don’t be so sure my shiny friend. A cornered animal is a dangerous thing. I advise we start setting up long-term infrastructure and prepare for a prolonged siege."

The rookie soldier scoffed. “Oh please. Just smack them around with a few nukes and they’ll run off the planet with their tails between their legs.”

“Fission bombs have their uses but when it comes to an alliance like this, it may only unify them and bolster morale. Besides, would we be able to withstand such an attack if they decided to return the favor?”

The rookie soldier sighed. “I guess not.”

The veteran smiled. “Of course the decision really goes to our mistress here. What are your orders?”

Stella thought for a moment and considered the options carefully. Taking the entire planet quickly could help out her financial situation but came with intense risk. It’s not like she would get all of it anyway. The empire would swoop in and hand her a monthly stipend for her work. On the other hand, losing all her progress after months of battling would be devastating. “Tell the troops to hold the line and dig in for a long siege. We’re taking this planet come hell or high water.” A strange static buzzed in Stella’s mind. It was strong enough to knock her off balance, forcing the veteran soldier to catch her as she fell off of his shoulder.

“Mistress! Are you alright?” yelled the veteran. The rookie soldier spoke after him but his words were muted in Stella’s mind. She sat in a paralyzed silence as her eyes stared at the two soldiers looming over her. The veteran checked her vitals as the rookie radioed for help. Eventually the silence of the scene was replaced by a new audio feed clicking into her mind.

“We’ve powered through the mist’s interference.” Said a light and squeaky voice. “She should be able to hear you now.”

“Good.” said a deep gravely voice. The voices sounded muffled by some kind of respirator. The deep voice continued. “Stella Estrella. Age: 65 Eris solar cycles. Species: ¾ Dark Chocolate Lobo ¼ Caramel fox hybrid with just enough mochibun DNA to remain compliant. According to your blood toxicology screening, you’re no stranger to illicit substances. Very good. That resilience will help keep you stable. My name is Doctor Ferrus Philosophus Septimus Decimus. Doctor Ferrus will do just fine. My mission is to create the perfect soldiers for the empire. Lately the pesky financial constraints have limited the scope of my research. I’m certain that if I can produce a significant enough result with this strange new mist, it should outweigh my debts to the crown. That tough skin of yours hasn’t been helping my pockets either. We had to spring for the diamond tipped needles to get through to your veins so you’d better be worth the trouble.”

Stella could feel over a dozen hands grabbing, poking and prodding at her body as Doctor Ferrus spoke. Her vision was still locked into her mochibun body on The Otherside. On the unnamed war-torn planet, a convoy of armored transports came to her aid. The two soldiers flagged down the convoy and they rushed her limp body into an ambulance with a medical team ready to treat her. They went through the usual motions. They took her pulse, checked her eyes for dilation, took a blood sample, put her on an IV and gave her an oxygen mask. Stella’s eyes were stuck on The Otherside. Stella’s ears were on Eris. She could feel what was happening to both of her bodies at the same time. Her ability to move was completely blocked off from both. On Eris and The Otherside, Stella was a helpless limp ragdoll with otherwise perfect vital signs.

After a rigorous round of testing, Stella’s soldiers debated connecting her mind to the HiveNet. They realized that she had gone deaf to the world around them so the veteran soldier started to communicate with Stella in sign language. “We’re going to give you a neural jolt. It should help you work through whatever interference your body is getting right now. We are about to connect you. Blink twice if you are ready.” Stella strained to blink her eyes but got the message through. “Let’s get started. Contact!” The veteran plugged a connection directly into Stella’s mochibun neck. Her body writhed and tensed up on the ambulance bed. The medical team worked to restrain her movement for her own safety. The doctors were flung about the ambulance. The two soldiers pinned her down well. The veteran took her upper body and the rookie held down her lower body. Together they kept her still as her body worked through all the static in her system.

Back on Eris, Stella felt straps keeping her body tied down to an operating table. Her eyes were still stuck on The Otherside but her nose and her ears were on Eris. Her muscular canine body pulled against the restraints and it wasn’t long before she tore through the straps and stumbled to the ground. 

“She’s broken free!” said the light squeaky voice. Stella’s ears twitched, she took a deep sniff of the air and lunged towards where she thought the voice came from. Her claws ripped through a lab coat and got a few drops of blood on her hands. Scratching her skin was like tearing through paper. Stella took a whiff of her bloody paw and sensed her prey perfectly. She could tell it was a small purebred mochibun with a body not built for combat. Stella darted toward her target and gripped the purebred bun by the neck and put just enough pressure on it to force out a shriek.

“A hardline. Now!” Stella demanded.

“You know we can’t do that.” Said the gravely voice. Instead of footsteps, Stella could hear what sounded like sand pouring onto the ground. The pouring got steadily louder and louder.

“Freeze!” Stella growled. “I can crush her in an instant. Don’t fuck with me. I want that hardline.”

The sand stopped for a moment before creeping in very slowly. Stella backed up further and further until she bumped against a wall. The sand stood still.

“Now, why would you bother crushing a low level scientist?” said doctor Ferrus.

“Why did you hesitate when I mentioned it?”

Doctor Ferrus stammered and sighed. “Fine. We had a fling a few months back. I guess part of me was still feeling sentimental. Now I’m weighing that against my waning patience.”

“H-he’s lying.” Whispered the light squeaky voice in Stella’s grasp. “He hasn’t so much as looked at me or anyone with that intent.” The purebred mochibun lovingly caressed Stella’s face and neck. “Crush me and I’ll guarantee to help you.”

Stella smiled as warm drool dripped down her chin. “Don’t hate me if I add a bit of insurance to that offer.” She opened her large canine maw wide and clamped down on the mochibun assistant’s neck, breaking it instantly and infusing some data into her prey’s body through the saliva. As the assistant’s body compressed into a core, the sand sprung forth. Stella snatched up the assistant’s candy core and crushed it in her grasp. She let the dust of it scatter to the wind and eventually disappear.

Doctor Ferrus started hyperventilating through his respirator. His voice became crazed and desperate. “I’ll make you pay for that you stupid bitch!”

Stella slumped against the wall with a grin on her face. “Come at me doc. I can take it.” Stella sat perfectly still as the black sand roared toward her and clamped down on her body with a wet crunch.

***

Nera led the way toward the testing facility. Whenever they veered off course from their destination, Nera could feel the little buzz of Marla’s voice in her ear. “Left. Right. Go higher. Jump down.” Ever since their meeting in the field, Marla only spoke to Nera when directly necessary.

Taffi whistled idly and looked around the forest. “So… a crazed horny bunny brought you here Nera? Was she hot?”

Nera stiffened up and stood still at the question. Her face became warm with a red hot blush. Droplets of sweat dripped down her face.

“Answer the question Nera.” Said Marla. Nera heard the sound of a switchblade being flipped out inside of her right ear. “Now.”

Nera took a deep breath. “She was the hottest thing I had ever seen in my entire life.”

“Awwww shit!” said Taffi. “Did you get that number?”

“Don’t tell them I’m physically in your ear.” said Marla. “I don’t trust that pink bimbo and the imperial stooge next to her.”

“We uh… remain connected.” Nera said.

Sam gave Nera a thumbs up. “Nice!” The grass shifted around Sam. A massive green plant creature with a stretchy jaw gobbled the shark up in one gulp. Sam’s screams were muffled by the creature as his body squirmed about inside of its slimy maw. Nera sighed, summoned her blade, and quickly slashed all around the creature, reducing it to ribbons. Sam plopped down onto the grass covered in slime. “Dammit! Can I go five minutes without something trying to eat me?”

“It’s the laws of nature.” Nera said “Eat or be eaten.”

“Nature sucks!” pouted Sam. “I want to go back to the city.”

“Being in the city doesn’t remove you from nature, it’s simply a different biome with different creatures to contend with.”

“Yeah!” said Taffi. “You could totally get swallowed whole in SilverVale. They would probably charge you for it though!”

The team trudged along through the thick tall grass until they reached a cliff that gave a good view of their target, a massive tree with a metal door surrounded by imperial soldiers. Several vehicles and aircraft stood on standby as soldiers milled about. Sam pressed a finger to his helmet. He perked up along with the rest of the soldiers before the battalion below them hurried through the site, packing everything up. 

“We just got the order to leave the site.” Sam said. He pulled up a pair of binoculars and spied a hovercart with a crate on it near the perimeter. “I might be able to jam you two into one of those crates and claim to have equipment to pick up inside. Seems like a really tight squeeze though.”

Taffi shrunk down to the size of a pebble. “I can fit anywhere!”

“I can’t shrink,” Nera said “but I can melt my body to fit more comfortably.” Nera’s firm body became slightly drippy like chocolate left out in the sun. The drips followed her core, leaving no evidence behind. Nera’s ear twitched.

“To be floating in a soup of you sounds like heaven.” Marla whispered. Nera blushed hard. “L-let's get started.”

Nera drew a portal in the air and aimed for the exit next to the crate. All four of them jumped through, stealthily emerging into the chaos. Sam put the back of his hand up against the crate's scanner. With a soft beep and green light, it popped open. “Hurry inside.” Taffi leapt into the crate as Nera's fully melted form slithered inside. As Sam went to close the crate, Nera felt her melty paw jerk forward to keep it open. “What's wrong?” Sam asked.

Nera repeated what Marla whispered to her. “I don’t want to be locked in an imperial crate while going into one of their facilities.”

“Good point.” Said Sam. “I'll close it but won't lock it. A bit of force and it should pop back open. Nera removed her paw and Sam closed the crate. He shuttled them to the tree where the majority of the soldiers were exiting and loading up aircraft. As he got to the door, another soldier raised a hand to stop him.

“Number and current duty.” Said the guard.

“Soldier 22844 tasked with unloading level one.” The guard took a moment to check something.

“The rest of your squad never checked in. Explain.”

Sam shrugged. “Casualties of the forest.”

The guard sighed. “The sooner we leave this savage land the better. Proceed.” The door opened and the scene was a regimented hustle and bustle of soldiers in their grey armor clanging about as they packed up the facility. The interior was sleek and metallic with no visible signs of the tree that housed them. The first floor was the barracks, armory and some hangars for vehicle maintenance built outside of the tree's interior. The soldiers in green were barking orders to the rest.

Sam leaned in towards the crate, cracked it open and whispered. “We need a chip from one of the green soldiers if we are going to find your friends.

“I'm on it!” Responded Taffi. She leapt out of the crack in the crate and remained tiny, hopping and stretching stealthily around the compound. She slithered up to the green soldier and slid into the joints of their armor. Once inside, Taffi crept toward the hand, scanning the electronics inside until she found the chip she needed. She carefully pried the chip from the guard and slithered away with her prize. Taffi rejoined the group and slipped into Sam's armor to replace his chip with the green one. Sam carted Nera to a nearby elevator and used the chip to gain access.

“We'll head down to the labs and see if your friends are still there. The good doctor may have insisted on his test subjects being moved around first.” They rode the elevator six floors down. The doors opened to wall to wall incubation tubes, cages and holding cells filled with all manner of beings. The hallway was long with another door on the far end. Sam carefully scanned the subjects that were imprisoned. “It'll take forever to find them in all this.”

The door at the end of the hall opened and a mochibun with a respirator stepped into the holding area. “Soldier.” Said the doctor. “What business do you have down here?”

“C-clearing out the facility m'lord.”

The Doctor stepped closer.

“The order was for the upper levels only. I have more tests to run down here. Besides…” A ring of black metallic sand surrounded the group. “That crate is far from empty.”

Nera's melty body flowed from the crate and solidified as Taffi sprung forth from Sam's armor and returned to her resting size. Taffi towered over everyone by a large margin with Nera being the second talles. Sam came next with Doctor Ferrus being the shortest. Despite the doctor's small stature, a menacing aura radiated from him. Nera took a step towards the mocibun doctor and pulled out her badge.

“My name is Nera Shiva, S.P.A.W.S. agent rank #3760. I have reliable information that several beings are currently held in this facility against their will. We are looking for three in particular.”

Ferrus chuckled. “I know all about you Ms. Shiva. Perfect record. Consistent promotions and honors. Makes me wonder why you would pull out your badge on unofficial business. Those three have some kind of personal connection to you. Am I right?”

Nera grumbled. “Yes. You took some friends of mine and I'd like them back.”

“Is that all?” Said Ferrus. “You're more than welcome to try and take them but what makes you think they want to leave?”

“Don't bullshit us Ferrus!” Snapped Nera. “We know that you've been experimenting with their minds.”

The doctor shrugged. “Neurology and psionics are my specialty. I don't see how that’s a crime.”

Taffi stretched forward. “You're stalling for time doc. Give us the three before we give you a pounding.”

Ferrus’ sickening cackle echoed through the hallway. “You're in no position to make demands.” With a twist of his wrist, Ferrus made the black iron sand rush towards the group. Taffi let out a boisterous sonic screech that blasted the sand away, scattering it around the floor. Nera summoned her katana, drew it from the blue sheath and darted toward Ferrus. The doctor pulled the sand to his defence and blocked Nera’s strike. Nera opened up a portal and popped up behind Ferrus to take another swing. The sand kept up with the canine's swift swipes. Taffi started throwing vicious kicks towards the doctor. Each one was effortlessly absorbed by the sand. Sam opened fire, shooting his laser at his former superior using any gaps in the sand. Ferrus didn't even need the sand to block those directly. The magnetic field created by the iron rendered the blasts useless. 

The trio did not let up. They continued to punch, slash and shoot while Ferrus stood perfectly still. “Heads up!” Taffi yelled as she compressed her body against the wall and her long black legs turned a shimmering glittery silver sheen. She sprung her feet forward, clashing with Ferrus’ iron defence. The two seemed evenly matched until Taffi's body started humming which turned into a violent vibration. Soon she breached the doctor's shield, forcing him to dodge for the first time. Ferrus chuckled and clenched the sand down on Taffi’s legs. Taffi grunted as the doctor squeezed harder and harder, eventually snapping off the flamingo’s long sturdy legs. Taffi fell to the ground. Her detached limbs sat within Ferrus’ sand perimeter. As another laugh slipped out of Ferrus' lips, the two detached legs slammed hard into his chin, sending him flying down the hallway. The sand followed him as he tumbled to the ground. Ferrus’ breath became uneven and strained. His eyes were wide and crazed.

“What a specimen!” Ferrus said. “Complete control when physically severed? You're going to be a menace.” He tapped a few buttons on his wrist monitor. As the last button was pressed, one of the glass tubes popped open with a puff of white mist. Inside was a grey wolf with red hair wearing a blue and red super hero outfit. She had thick wires connected to the back of her head. Several more connected her to the pod she emerged from. A metal headset covered her eyes. The wolf bared her fangs against the group.

Nera gasped at the wolf. “Kavara!”

“The strength on this one was uncanny.” Said Ferrus. “Once I realized it was drug-based, taming her was simple chemistry.” The doctor gave Kavara a few pets on the head. “I fed her a cocktail of drugs that turned this vicious beast into an obedient pup. Play with her for a bit. I have more work to check up on.” Ferrus used his black sand to carry him off toward the exit at the end of the hall.

“You won't get away!” Nera screamed as she dashed toward the doctor swinging her blade. Kavara rushed to the doctor's defence and clashed with Nera, catching the katana with her bare hands. They stood there, locked in with each other.

“I'll get him!” Taffi said as she sprung forth while carrying Sam in her stretchy arms. As Kavara turned to stop Taffi, Nera yanked her sword from the grey wolf's grasp, leaving deep cuts in Kavara’s palms. Nera followed up with a swift slice at her friend's shoulder. Kavara ignored her wounds as she chased after Taffi and Sam. The superhero dashed toward the flamingo and soldier with a flaming punch charged and ready. Right before it made contact with Sam, Nera appeared before Kavara, blocking the punch with her katana. Nera glared at Kavara.

“Keep going! I’ll hold her back.” Nera stayed there locked in with Kavara as Sam and Taffi gave chase through the door at the end of the hallway. Nera grimaced at Kavara’s intense snarling face, sensing the pain and confusion that clouded the wolf’s mind. Nera couldn’t help but think back to when they met years ago. Kavara had just entered SilverVale and Nera was tasked with helping her adjust to the city. Back in those days, Kavara was a meek stuttering mess, a far cry from the bold superhero that stood before her. Despite her growing confidence over the years, Kavara never lost that tenderness. Perhaps it was still there underneath all the wires and tech.

Kavara swung wildly at Nera with a ferocious combination. Nera dodged and parried as much as she could but one punch landed square in her gut and sent the folf flying back. She flipped in the air and landed on her feet, holding her stomach.

“Snap out of it Kavara!” Nera yelled. “Don’t you recognize me?” Her cries fell on deaf ears as Kavara continued her assault. Nera held her own, slashing away at the grey wolf hoping to get some kind of reaction. There was nothing. It was as if Kavara’s mind and body were completely separate. What stood before her wasn’t her friend. It was a beast bent on destruction. Kavara rushed her again, this time landing a hard right hook to Nera’s face. This one knocked her to the ground, giving Kavara the chance to pounce on her prey. Nera teleported out of the way just in time, leaving Kavara to strike the ground, denting the metal flooring. Marla’s voice rang out in Nera’s ear.

“Save your breath.” Marla said. “That device is blocking her from processing most of anying. See if you can sever one of those cables attached to it. I can try and jack you into her mind.”

“G-got it!” Nera hopped back to her feet and poised her blade. She locked in on one of the long black cables attached to the back of Kavara’s head. Kavara snarled and charged at Nera. Nera waited for the perfect time to strike. Right before Kavara’s punch connected, Nera jumped through a portal that popped her out from the ceiling. She fell down with great force and slammed her Katana against one of the thick cables attached to her friend. Once severed, Kavara howled out in pain, thrashing about like a wild animal. Nera got a hold of the cable attached to Kavara and tried her best to tug it closer to the back of her own neck. Kavara fought her the entire way, crashing into the walls, snarling and snapping at the air. Nera grunted through the tug of war and took a deep breath before exhaling a cloud of freezing mist at Kavara. The ice crystals crackled along the floor, eventually anchoring the brainwashed wolf. Nera shoved the other end of the cable into her own neck. Marla hopped out of her ear and secured the connection between the two combatants. Kavara’s thrashing weakened as the data began to flow. Nera injected a memory into her friend’s mind, the memory of when they first met.