Preparations first posted to alt.devilbunnies mid-June, 1999.
Rebirth first posted to alt.devilbunnies 25-27 September, 1999.
I had not originally intended so much time to lapse between these two segments of my 1999 story. I don't know what my problem was at the time....real life issues or bad luck in collaborations (as usual)...or just writer's block. It seems to have worked out anyway. So here they are.
©1999 by Scott Bernier
First HTML-ized 10 October, 1999
Return to Moxie's stories archive.
| DEWComm: Preparations 1 | Rebirth 1 |
|---|---|
| DEWComm: Preparations 2 | Rebirth 2 |
| DEWComm: Preparations 3 | Rebirth 7 |
| DEWComm: Preparations 4 | Rebirth 8 |
(thump...thump...thump) "Bring the meeting to order," Jerry CrimsonPaw ordered. (STOMP!)
The various buns gathered around the table stopped their side conversations and turned to their commander. They drooped their ears with the look he gave them.
"You know what I'm upset about, but we'll save that business until a little later. Chiptooth, what is the status of our southern expansion?"
Chiptooth stood-up on his hindpaws. "We have infiltrated the bookstore and cafeteria on the Portland Campus of the University of Southern Maine and now have a pawhold." (howeverfluff)...
Jerry glared at Chiptooth to continue.
Chiptooth gulped hard. "We have met strong resistance beyond that. Without reinforcements, we'll loose that pawhold within a few weeks."
(SNICK!) Jerry clawed into the table, leaning over it. "What kind of..." (pausefluff) "resistance?"
"Treerats. Well organized tree rats. They control most of the campus and all of nearby Deering Oaks Park, probably more. There was even talk briefly by the University's Board of Regents to change the school's mascot from a huskie to a grey treerat." (dismayfluff) "They're armed with mini-pawheld crossbows similar to what the Devilbunny Marines use, complete with the same hollow tips." Chiptooth paused again.
"They use Moxie (tm)" (shudderfluff) "in those tips. As I said, it's only a matter of time..."
"Withdraw your few forces immediately," Jerry stated flatly.
(baffledfluff) "Sir?"
"You heard me." (STOMP!) "You've told me you can't hold the territory without reinforcements and we can't spare them at the moment. Better to withdraw then see them wiped-out, right? Then we can use them another day."
"Yes, sir." Chiptooth was confused for a moment. He had expected to be ordered to hold the position at all costs. "Thank you, sir."
(fangygrin) "We'll retake what is rightfully ours once the Fudds are out of the way."
The meeting went into other matters for an hour, then Jerry turned to two buns next to him who shrank under his stare. "About that accident Down East..."
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Jerry hopped wearily into the warren's infirmary after the long meeting. The verbal reprimand he had given those two buns was much worse then anything he could have done to them physically and allow them to live. How could they have not planned for a wandering moose on the Airline (Route 9)???
Jerry had been living here in the infirmary since the accident, nearly a week, waiting for a change in the status of either of the two current patients. He hopped into one curtained-off area and looked up in the bed at Mariel's unconscious form. She started to stir and Jerry perked his ears. He called Mentat Blackberry over who nodded and paged for Counselor Downyfluff.
Mariel opened her eyes and her heartbeat shot-up briefly. "Where..." she tried to sit-up.
Jerry was quickly at her side. "You're alright, Mariel. It's Jerry, I'm with you. You're in Cherryfield Warren's hospital. Don't try to sit-up right now. There was an accident. Not the one we were going to stage, but a real one. How do you feel?" (concernfluff)
Mariel thought for a moment. "I ache all over, but I don't think anything is broken...but I'm still a girl..."
"The x-rays showed nothing amiss...you're conversion will have to wait a little longer, hon..." Jerry paused as Downyfluff entered and was quickly at his side. "What do you remember about the accident, Mariel?"
Mariel thought for a moment. "We were over and down the other side of the Whaleback(1). Dad was enjoying the rental truck." Mariel started breathing harder and talking faster. "He said if we weren't getting ready to become bunnies, that he'd go and get one just like it. We rounded the curve and were about to hit that new straightway they put in last fall, one of the ones that filled in a deep ditch...a moose stepped out of the woods in front of us. Dad didn't have enough time to stop. He veered but still hit the moose. We bounced about and went sailing into the air and..." (gaspshudder)..."I don't remember anymore. I guess we crashed."
Jerry remained quiet a moment and looked to Downyfluff. She simply nodded and he turned back to Mariel. "The Ford Explorer™ you were in sailed into trees 45 feet above the ground. The part of the road you were traveling over had filled most of a 50 foot deep ravine. The truck crashed through the trees, got stuck 30 feet up long enough to get flipped around and then came crashing down on its back end. The truck came to a rest right side up. The moose walked away into the woods as far as we can tell. You, somehow, escaped serious injury, other then a minor concussion. Your father is in bad shape in ICU here at the warren." (droopears) "We don't know if he'll pull through. Your mother..." (tearyeyesfluff) "was killed instantly when you hit the moose."
Downyfluff and Jerry provided Mariel comfort in her mourning the rest of the evening.
1. Whaleback--name given to a long mountain the Airline (Maine Route 9) goes over due to it looking like a beached whale from a distance. Both ends of the Whaleback on Route 9 were 15% grades or steeper (for half a mile or more with some nasty curves thrown in for 'fun') before the state started taming' this section of that route three years ago.
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Mariel was up and about within a day. Downyfluff and Jerry had counseled her on what to expect as she approached the ICU her father was in. She worked up her nerves and entered with them.
Her father, Robert, was barely recognizable under all the bandages, wires, and tubes. He was awake when they entered, but he couldn't talk due to a feeder tube stuck down his throat. His eyes lit up in recognition.
Mariel walked around to one side of the bed, somehow dodged the wires and tubes and gave her father a gentle hug. She wiped a few tears from her eyes. Robert signaled with his one free hand, pointing to a pad of paper and pen. Mariel got them for him.
He wrote: How's my little girl?
"I'm sore, but alright, Dad."
Good. Jerry told me everything.
Tears welled-up in Mariel's eyes again. Robert put the pen down and caressed her cheek, all that he could reach without grimacing in pain. He picked-up the pen again.
We're still going to do it, hon. It's just I'm going to be delayed. You shouldn't have to wait for me.
"I don't understand..." she replied.
Jerry hopped over and read the message and turned to Robert. "Are you sure?" (curiousfluff)
Robert was barely able to nod, but it was enough for Jerry to understand.
"Mariel, your father doesn't want you to wait to convert. He needs to heal more before we can do it to him, but he wants you to go ahead without him."
"Are you sure Dad?"
Again Robert nodded slightly.
"Alright, I'll do it just for you."
There was a look of relief on his face and Downyfluff led her out. After she left, Robert started writing again.
I want you to take good care of her for me, Jerry.
Jerry glared at him. "I'm not going to let you give-up, Robert. You're not going to have any choice but to recover. Mentat Blackberry is going to set-up Mariel right next to you. She's going to be keeping an eye on your recovery as you watch her progress from human to bunny. You will get better, Robert. Conversion can be very stressful on the body. If you die in front of your daughter, she most likely will loose hope and die also. Jerry leaned over the bed and added quietly, "Am I clear on that?"
Crystal, he wrote quickly, and nodded. Jerry left him be to get some rest.
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(chime) "Commander, communications for you..."
Jerry rolled over in his sleeping hollow. First time in weeks he had tried to get a real night's sleep and someone had to disturb him. (sighfluff) "From who, Tech?" he replied into the air.
"Councilor Sugartail of Torb..."
"I'll take it down here." Jerry hopped over to his terminal as Sugartail's image came through.
(greetingsfluff) "Commander."
Jerry bowed slightly. "Councilor."
"As we speak, I am downloading to your system what little new information we have on the Maine Fudd base. Most of the information you provided me is accurate, despite the age of that information..."
"Were you able to..."
(gigglewiggle) "Easily. I had been Catherine's pet db bunny for over a year before she was taken from me." (alasfluff) "Blake has poisoned her mind. She can be saved, but it will take time, lots of time." (droopears) "I'm afraid that if you wait for anything she knows, you'll have to set your timetable back a year or two..."
(STOMP!)
"There's nothing more I can do on it, Commander, and not lose the information we are trying to get from her. She is hooked on toes like a good doe now. She even willingly bit off and ate a symp's toe the other day."
(verywellfluff) "Thank you for trying."
The terminal went blank. Jerry (sighfluffed) in disappointment. He called up the information he had been given and started reading through it. So much for a good night's sleep.
[Author's note: I originally intended to have The Summit and Maine Battle '99 take place in July, right after this last series of posts, but too many things came-up with those involved in the plot.]
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(STOMP!) "This meeting shall come to order!"
The other buns around the low table stopped their side conversations and turned to their leader, Jerry CrimsonPaw.
"In a few days, I will travel to a summit with my counterpart in New Hampshire to plot out strategy against the Maine Fudds. How are preparations going?"
Jerry nodded in turn as each bun gave his/her report.
"Good. Then we are ready." (fangygrin) "In other business, the bun responsible for the attempted assassination of horror author King has been punished for his. Improper behavior."
There were shocked looks on the other buns around the table. One worked up the nerve to ask, "Improper? Trying to kill a Fudd is improper???" (insultedfluff)
"How long have we spied on him? Years? His only link to the Fudds is signing his name to the cover-up of that battle. For all we know he thinks the whole thing is fictional. He's too publicly known. That unauthorized attempt brought unwanted attention to our operations." (STOMP!) "Wheel in the bun."
The doors to the meeting chamber opened and a covered gurney was wheeled in by a guardbun.
Jerry nodded to the guardbun. "Uncover 'em."
The guardbun (salutefluffed) and yanked back the sheet. Underneath was what might once have been a bun...before it had been hit by a few beer trucks. The others at the table (shudderfluffed) at the sight and stench of rotting flesh.
"He opted for trial by challenge as the law allows. He was required to attempt to cross busy I-95 down near Ogunquit where it's six lanes wide in rush hour traffic last Friday evening. If he had made it across, he would have been acquitted as is written. There were no symps on the road that evening and he was run down by at least a dozen vehicles before the remains you see bounced into the median strip
"I've been taking some time reviewing the laws created by my predecessors. Who needs to be creative? They seem to have thought of just about everything." (fangygrin) "Dismissed!" (STOMP!)
The other buns had all they could do to not bolt as they filed out of the room. The intercom buzzed.
"Jerry here," Jerry replied as he toggled the proper switch on the table.
"She's waking up, Commander."
"I'll be right down!" Jerry exclaimed and ran out of the room.
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Jerry rushed into the infirmary. Mentat Blackberry met him. "She's stirred a bit but hasn't awoken yet."
"Thank you, Mentat, for your hard work. I was worried she wasn't going to pull through."
Jerry hopped over to a bun-size bed in one corner. A half-grown, taffy pelt kit lay asleep curled in a ball on the bed. Her left ear twitched and she rolled over in her sleep. Jerry nuzzled her. "Wake up, hon." He nuzzled her again.
The kit stirred, looked up and yawned showing devilbunny fangs. She blinked her eyes a few times. "Jerry? You're so big. I feel so stiff..." She stretched and fluffed. She sat up slowly and looked down at herself. She squealed happily. "It worked! I'm a bunny!" (hop) The kit nearly hit the ceiling in her excitement
"Slow down, hon, take it easy. You've been asleep a long time, Mariel. You had us worried for a while."
(gigglefluff) "Oh...I like doing that..." (gigglefluff) She was so adorable in her new found abilities. "Why were you worried, Unca Jerry?"
*Unca?* he thought to himself, *I like the sound of that...* "I'm not going to lie to you, Mariel. It's the end of September."
Mariel's jaw dropped.
"We were beginning to think you would never wake up from conversion." (worryfluff) "For a while I thought I might have lost you....ooomph!"
Jerry fell backwards as Mariel leapt a little too enthusiastically to (bunnyhug) him.
(gigglefluff) "Silly! I was just very tired from changing." (thump) She paused a moment. (thump, thump, thump) She tapped her left rear paw repeatedly. "It's real! It's real! Blackberry is a miracle worker!" She hopped about Jerry in excitement. "I've got a real foot again!" (thump, thump, thump)
By now she had attracted the attention of most everybun else in the infirmary.
"Hon," Jerry replied, "we need you to take it easy for a little while. Mentat Blackberry needs to conduct a few tests to make sure everything is alright."
(hesitantfluff) "Well..."
"Afterwards, we'll visit your father and go get something to eat."
Mariel's tummy rumbled at the suggestion. "Well...." (alrightfluff)
Blackberry led her into another room.
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[Author's note: The following was posted with a PiG-13 warning to the newsgroup. I later received complaints about being overcautious. However, if I hadn't placed the warning, I know I would have received complaints about not placing a warning. (chuckle) So maybe I am overcautious.]
Thirty minutes later, Mentat Blackberry led Mariel back out to Jerry. She leapt into his paws and (bunnyhugged) him. He didn't loose his balance this time.
"Mentat Blackberry says I passed."
"With flying colors, I might add," Blackberry stated. "She won't need much physical training."
Jerry nodded. "We're going to visit your father briefly, Mariel. But I must warn you. His condition might scare you. As you know he was injured seriously in that accident. He had finally healed enough to start undergoing conversion just a few weeks ago. He may not even be awake when we visit."
"I understand. Auntie Downyfluff talked to me while Mentat Blackberry examined me. I know what to expect."
"Very well."
Jerry led her to a separate room off the infirmary. The room was darkened, but it only took a moment for their lapin eyes to adjust. In the corner was a gurney and upon the gurney was a form about three feet in length covered by a sheet. The sheet rose and fell slightly in silence.
"Whatever you do, Mariel, don't shriek." Jerry whispered. "It could cause your father distress. You looked like this about half-way through your conversion."
Mariel suppressed a (nervousfluff) and nodded.
"Robert?" Jerry asked gently, "are you awake? Your daughter is here to see you."
The sheet stirred. "Mariel?" The voice was strained. "Please don't. I don't want to scare her," Robert rasped.
(pleadfluff) "I've got to see you, Dad. Just one little hug?" (pleadfluff) She tugged gently on the corner of the sheet and it fell back.
Robert curled back, trying to hide himself, not wanting his daughter to see him. He had begun to shrink down. A light coat of black fur covered his semi-lapin body. He already had a midnight black cotton tail. His legs were something of a mix of human and bun. They had the shape of a bun's, but were too long. His feet still had human shape. All of his toes were missing, but new growth was showing on the old stubs.
Robert's arms had already shrunk somewhat. His fingers had merged with his hands to form forepaws. He already had claws on these paws, which he sheathed and unsheathed nervously as his daughter looked him up and down. His head was semi-reshaped into bun form. He had a split upper lip and buckteeth and his eyes were wider apart, further up his head. Rounded ears, not yet lengthened protruded above the human hair still on his head.
Mariel didn't bat an eyelash, hopped up on the gurney and (bunnyhugged) her father. "I missed you, Dad. You'll get better. You're going to make a handsome buck." (encouragewigglefluff)
Though it was difficult for him to do so, Robert returned the hug. "I hope so, hon. I'm glad to see you're awake. It might be a while before we see each other again. Until then, Jerry will see to your care." He glanced at Jerry as he continued to hug his daughter and Jerry nodded.
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Jerry led Mariel into DEWComm's mess hall for dinner. She had kept very quiet since they left her father.
As they went through the serving line, Jerry carefully watched what Mariel placed in her plate, making sure she didn't take more then she could eat. She finally spoke as they sat down at one of the many low lying tables to eat.
"You were right to warn me, Unca Jerry. Dad was scary to look at. But I did as you told me so as to not hurt Dad. He'll be alright, right?" (worriedfluff)
"If Mentat Blackberry has anything to do with it, he will be, hon."
"Good." she nibbled on some salad with strawberry vinaigrette dressing. "I hope you didn't let our toes go to waste," she commented out of the blue and bit into a small slice of carrot, spinach, and Spam™ pizza. She began to eat voraciously as her appetite came back.
Jerry stopped in mid-nibble from her last comment. "Toes?"
Mariel (gigglefluffed) between bites. "Of course, Unca Jerry. Don't be silly. When Dad and I were humans, you told us how bunnies eat the toes of Fudds. We weren't Fudds, but by becoming bunnies we wouldn't need our toes any more, right?"
"Well, no."
"Then I hope somebun enjoyed our toes." (STOMP!) "Will I get to try some soon? How are they?"
"We'll see, hon." Jerry was at a semi-loss. He wasn't expecting Mariel to ask these sort of questions so soon. The subliminal messages played to her as she lay in a coma must have worked well. "We use the term harvest when we salvage the toes of sympathizers who are converting. I'm sure Mentat Blackberry harvested your five toes. You must have seen that the same was done to your father."
"Did you have any?"
"Not to my knowledge, hon. I made a promise, remember. I like toes as much as the next bun, but I wouldn't touch yours or your father's without permission."
Mariel (gigglefluffed). "Well, if they haven't been eaten yet, we should have some tomorrow." (noddle) "Do we eat'em raw or cook'em up?"
Jerry hesitated a moment and felt uncomfortable. "We can do them both ways, but if either yours or your father's toes are still around, they've been frozen a while and would taste better cook. Only if they're fresh do we tend to eat them raw." He changed the subject not feeling ready to talk to her about enjoying them fresh off a live Fudd. "You're starting school tomorrow."
"School?" (excitedfluff) "Cool!" (hop, skip, bounce)
"You might not be so excited when you start, hon. Unlike a human child, your kithood will last only another six months or so. Each grade in bun school only lasts a few weeks. You'll learn a lot and quickly as you'll soon see. Enjoy your kithood while you've got it, hon."
Mariel finished cleaning her plate off. "I will...." (slurpfluff)
"Downyfluff will be taking care of you for the next week or two. I have to go to meet with my counterpart in New Hampshire in a couple of days. The Fudds are acting up, it looks like we'll have to fight them soon."
(worriedfluff) "Be careful, Unca Jerry."
"I will, Mariel." Jerry softly scritched her behind the ears.
[Continues into The Summit.]
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END