Maine: Epidemic

(BLAM!!!! BLAM!!!! BLAM!!!!)

"ThAT Eese ZEe thIRd one thIS WEek!"

"Better report it to the Sergeant."

Eugene Pomerleau knew it long before the private got to his office. Gun shots this time of day and no cuteness alarms meant another rabid animal. This time, a fox. Just then 'Doc' as they called old Dr. Matthews walked in, carrying an all too familiar syringe.

However, this one did not contain Anti-bunnies (tm). It was Eugene's 5th and final Rabies booster. Major Blake ordered all at the base to be inoculated against the disease due to the outbreak in Maine. It started with raccoons and had spread to the skunks and bats. Then on to the coyote and fox populations. Then seven days ago, rabies claimed one of their squirrel scouts who had moved down to the base from Namakata the previous summer.

That was enough for Major Blake. He and the surviving squirrels were first to get the shots. The following day when the order had arrived from Boston General, the rest of the soldiers began their five day ritual. To make things worse, the base was overloaded with about 200 "refugees" from LuFI. The unusually large order for human rabies vax dropped the reserves in New England to dangerously low levels.

Eugene rubbed his sore arm as he made his rounds along the base perimeter, which also happened to be the perimeter of his parents' sprawling China, Maine farm.

"Look-out, there's another one!"

"WaIT, iT Eese a sQUirrEL..."

"Don't look like one of ours, he isn't even giving the proper signals. And look at how he's just swaying back and forth towards us. There's no life to his drooping tail, either."

The private raised his shotgun and aimed.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE, PRIVATE!" Eugene called-out as he approached the pair and looked-out towards the squirrel. "You know the Major's orders. Let me handle this."

Eugene pulled-out his .22 handgun and approached the squirrel cautiously, examining it as he went. It was showing the first signs. He sighed and took aim.

"Wait..." it chittered-rasped. "I have a message for squirrel-friend Pomerleau from Ash and the Council of Namakata elders...." It looked-up bleary-eyed. "They...request....help...." It suddenly leaped at Eugene. Gene fired, dropping it in mid-air. A single tear rolled down his cheek.

"Private add that one to today's cremation pile," Eugene ordered as he turned and headed straight to Major Blake's office.

"....and then it leaped and I fired."

"That's all you got from him?"

(sigh) "Yes, that's..."

There was a knock at the door, interrupting Gene's reply.

"Enter," Major Steve Blake called-out.

The door opened and a Lumberjack Fudd entered, carrying a Have-a-Heart (tm) cage within which was another grey squirrel.

"Explain, Corporal," was the Major's order.

"ThEESe liTTle one shoWEd-up soON AFter the SeRGEant's deparTUre. He shoWEd the proPEr sigNAls and reqUESted to be cAGed for 'OUR' saFEty. He says he hAS a mesSAge for the SeRGEant."

Blake motioned for the cage to be set down. "Dismissed, Corporeal, and send Doc in here immediately."

The Fudd saluted and departed as Blake and Pomerleau turned to their new guest. They could see the grey squirrel had recently been in battle with something. His fur was bloodied with claw marks on various parts of his body and the last inch or so of his tail was missing. It was fairly small, probably young, no more than a yearling. Rodent eyes stared back at them.

"Well?" Blake asked.

"I am Aldin Oakhurst..." Pomerleau leaped out of his chair at the cage at the mention of the first name. The little squirrel was startled in his cage and stammered for a moment before Gene regained himself and sat back down, apologizing.

(sighflick-wince) "Yes, my parents decided to name me in honor of the great squirrelmentat you are associated with. I was born last fall after the battle you, he, my parents, and the others fought against the bun called FlopEar." He paused for a moment. "But I digress...it's already hard to think, I was attacked yesterday evening by a crazed raccoon. I bear a message for you, squirrel-friend Eugene Pomerleau from Ash and the Namakata Council of Elders."

Oakhurst paused a moment in concentration trying to remember the words. "As Ash daughter of the late Puffcheeks told me and four others five days ago:

"She also told us to tell you that they can now receive comm signals, but still can't send. She then gave us directions on how to find you."

"And the others?" Eugene asked though he already knew the answer.

Aldin Oakhurst looked-up into the human's eyes. "All dead. Three died on the trip, the fourth, my brother Pufftail, you shot in self-defense." A single tear dripped down the squirrel's muzzle. "When we left, there were only 120 healthy squirrels left."

Eugene felt a tinge of guilt as he whistled for there had been about 200 after the battle 14 months earlier and there had been two mating cycles since then. There should have been at least 300 healthy squirrels in normal circumstances. The door opened and Doc Matthews entered, carrying a syringe.

"He says he was bitten last night, Doc."

Doc tsked. "He should be fine, then, but we'll know by morning. Now, then little fellah, don't flinch." He jabbed the syringe lightly into Oakhurst's underside and administered the rabies vaccine. Oakhurst winced, but remained still.

"Doc," Blake stated, "I need you to call our suppliers down in Portland and Boston if need be. I want enough vaccine for 150 squirrels. And escort our guest to the health lodge for overnight observations." Blake turned to Aldin Oakhurst. "You need not worry, as soon as we get the vaccine, we shall send help. You rest now."

Doc left with the cage. "I know how much they mean to you and Aldin, Gene. You'll be heading-up the aid mission with Doc Matthews. I want you to take some of the Fudds from LuFI with you..."

"What?" Eugene interrupted, "Most of them are having a hard time coping with this base as it is, since they can only see several 100 yards rather than 10-20 miles. Some of them will become claustrophobic and be useless to me if I drag them out into the wilderness."

"This isn't a request, Sergeant, it's your orders. I know the problems, but they'll have to get use to it. Besides, your brother's too busy working on that...what did he call it? The Amp from Hell™ that he blew during the Portland Battle last year and needs to return to the McGregors in Dunwich. Corporal O'Keefe is a good electronics tech and could probably solve the squirrel's communications problem while you're up there. You will choose 10 others to aid in the vaccination of the Namakata squirrels. You may also want to ask our scouts if any of them want to go home for a while, despite the situation. You'll depart as soon as we get those vaccines. Send a message-out widebeam to let Ash know we have received her message. Have it translated into squirrel first for security's sake."

"Yes, sir, I'll get right on it."

Translation of the following from heavily accented squirrel provided by Moxie™ for the lurkers out there as per the FluffyTeacher English Only Translation Directive (aka FTD) of 1994. Non-lurkers are out of luck, unless they understand squirrel. :) Attempts to trace would indicate it originated in Maine.

*****Widebeam Activated*****
Chitter-chatter-screeee@%#^#$%^#
***Begin translation***

To: Ash and the Council of Namakata Elders
Subject: Aid requested to ward-off rabies epidemic

I have received your message and have not forgotten how you and the others helped Aldin and I defeat FlopEar. We will depart for your location tomorrow after we receive the vaccine from other sources. Young Aldin Oakhurst was the only messanger to survive the trip and he will return with us.

The Spirit watch over you,
SGT Eugene Pomerleau, squirrel-friend

***End translation***
(&$*(%&*(#$&%chat-chit-scree
*****End Widebeam*****

"I can't take it!" The Fudd shook with fear. "I'm closed-in and trapped, like in a warren! How can anyone...."

"Private!" (smack, smack) "Private! Get ahold of yourself!"

SGT Pomerleau had stopped the Generic Bread (tm) breadtruck in the middle of the woods road, holding-up the relief column of four vehicles while the private from western Texas next to him was having claustrophobic fits. The private whimpered for a moment.

"Sorry, sarh. It's...it's just that you can't see further than you can spit a wad of chaw...."

"That is true, Private...."

"Avery, sarh, John Avery."

John pulled-off his cowboy hat and wiped the sweat off his brow. Sweat brought on by anxiety and not heat. It was a 'balmy' (by Maine standards) 76 F (24 C) outside in the wilderness, but by Texas standards this was a bit nippy. The LuFI survivors on this mission were quite happy to have the flannel shirts that were loaned to them from the Lumberjack Fudds back at Maine Fudd Vol, HQ.

"..Avery, but up here, you will learn to rely on more than just your eyes to keep you out of harms way."

There was a rap on the window. "What's the hold up?"

"Avery got a little nervous, Cprl, nothing to worry about."

Cprl O'Keefe chuckled. He had grown-up outside of Houston. Trees didn't bother him. "Oh is that all....great Elh'Mar!" O'Keefe leaped back as a brown furred creature, 6 foot at the shoulder with a huge set of antlers trotted across the road in front of them and into a nearby swamp, ignoring the human trespassers as it nibbled on some young shoots. "What...what was..."

It was Eugene who chuckled this time. "Nevah seen a moose befoah, huh?" Eugene found it difficult not to talk with the Down-East accent at that moment.

"Are...are they dangerous?"

"Only if you hit one with your vehicle. The small ones dress-out at 1000 lbs (454kg). That bull there, is more likely around 1300 lbs (545kg). You hit something that heavy, and it topples on top of your vehicle, you won't live long enough to worry about it." Eugene shifted the truck back into gear and the relief column was on the move again.

For the next several miles, Eugene spoke to John Avery about the Maine way of life. It helped keep the private's mind off of his fear. Before long they were near the southern shore of Nahmakanta Lake in the middle of one of Maine's newest purchases of Public Reserve Land to "remain forever wild". Eugene motioned to the other vehicles as to where to park off the woods road.

"Doc, you're with me. Pvt Pleau I want you on sentry."

"Oui, SerGEAnt," the Lumberjack replied. The only one in the group.

"O'Keefe, get camp set up." O'Keefe saluted and started barking orders to the eight other Fudds as SGT Pomerleau and Dr. Matthews headed around the narrow southern shore of the lake to a small, primitive footbridge erected over the outlet to the lake and made their way up the east shore a ways.

Eugene called-out the best he could imitate a greeting. "Screee--cluck-chitter...gag..cough. Gad, I've gotten rusty since Aldin left," he added to his companion.

The call was immediately answered. "Screeeee-chitter-chat-chit." A grey squirrel bounded down a nearby white pine and sat on a low branch. "So, you have come as promised, squirrel-friend Pomerleau," it spoke in a tiny high-pitched voice in English.

"Tell the others that we will be ready within an hour to help them at our camp at the southern shore of the lake."

"It will be done," replied the squirrel, who flicked it's tail pointing at two separate branches high-up in the tree at two other squirrels who immediately bounded-off in the woods.

"The council wishes to see you alone, Eugene Pomerleau."

"Gene, please. If you will excuse us, Doc."

Doc Matthews headed back around the lake towards the base camp as Gene followed his squirrel guide eastward into the forest.

"It is good that you have come."

Eugene bowed his head to the squirrel, Ash, who addressed him. The Namakata Council of Elders were assembled on several low branches of an ancient sugar maple.

"I wish we could have come sooner," Eugene replied.

"It will be soon enough. We may have lost many these past few weeks, but we have survived worse. Through slavery, droughts, and famine we have persevered and with your aid, we will live on beyond this disease. If only the legendary one could only return."

"I, too, miss Aldin, but there is little that can be done."

(understoodflick) "We know there is little you can do. May the Spirit watch over him where ever he be. But come, there is much to show you."

As the council broke-up, Eugene followed Ash through the woods towards the entrance to the former rabbit research warren, Namakata Labs. Ash spoke as she approached the entrance, tailflicking a greeting to the squirrel sentry at the entrance.

"We learned our lesson after last summer's battle. We can not sit by while others war against the devilbunnies. We have been busy...." Ash smiled as Eugene looked about inside the tunnel as they descended.

What had been half-buried remained as such, but the lighting had been repaired and the main hallway had been more or less cleaned away. Groups of squirrels scampered from place to place.

"For the past year we have been slowly working on repairing what we could of this evil place in hopes of turning it into a place for good. We have not been able to dig-out the laboratories, but there are other areas we have been able to repair and clean-up. Power is as it had been in the days of our forbearers, hydro-power. The old turbine was still hidden within the outlet to the lake. We merely had to do some minor repairs and hook it up to the power grid."

They rounded a corner to a familiar stairwell-landing. The stairs were gone, replaced by a thin, long branch and a rope.

(appologeticflick) "I'm sorry we haven't installed stairs. That's beyond what we can do on our own."

Ash scampered down the branch, while Eugene had to make his way hand over hand, lowering himself down on the rope. Ash took him on a grand tour of the former warren. Not as much had been destroyed as he thought. Most of the damage was at the northend where the bun's powerplant and the labs had been. The command center was more or less intact along with several storage rooms. One of which was already 1/4 full with acorns and pine cones.

"We still live outside, but we are putting as much of this place to use as possible...." They rounded a corner and into the computer center that Aldin/Eugene had faced their final battle in against FlopEar. Memories flashed into Eugene's mind. It had been by the grace a greater being, whether you called it El'mar, God, the Creator or whatever that he and Aldin had lived through that battle. Ash continued along in her dialog. "...as you can see, we've got the systems running again, but we can not get them to send messages out. Perhaps..."

Eugene snapped-out of the flashback. "What? Sorry...oh, the computer system...." Eugene walked over. "I've got a technician along who can probably fix these..." Eugene examined the system, typing away at a few keys. The screen read:

(appologeticflick) No one will be able to access this system until my return. }:3

Eugene whistled. "Fat chance bringing him down here will do, Ash. It appears Aldin has sealed the system." Ash's tail dropped. "However, that doesn't mean we can't work around this. Perhaps a separate system."

"We can help off-set the costs with the green paper money you humans use for bartering."

"What?"

(wellflick) "Who do you think sold this land to the state to be designated as a permanent wilderness?"

Eugene smiled as the squirrel led him out.

In all 113 squirrels were inoculated against rabies that day. It was too late for another 20 or so who were showing the first signs of the deadly disease. In the meantime, Cprl O'Keefe had set-up a notebook computer complete with BunnyStumper Deluxe (tm) for the squirrels.

Eugene tested the new system by sending a message to Major Blake. He asked Blake's permission to put a scheme into action. Blake approved grudgingly.

Eugene had proposed the plan to the Namakata Council of Elders who in turn decided it would be up to the doomed to decide their own fate. To the squirrel, those who it was too late to save with the vaccine raised their tails in favor of the plan. They were already doomed to die, they simply decided to die with honor.

The Fudds took their leave of the Namakata squirrels the following morning, those squirrels showing the first signs of rabies loading-up in the back of the generic bread breadtruck. The Council of Elders bid solemn farewell to their brethren and the friends in arms as the small column of vehicles pulled-off down the logging road. Five miles later, the logging road forked, the right heading to Greenville, the way they had come, and the left heading to points east. Eugene had ordered the rest of the group to head back to Maine Fudd Vol. HQ. He and Avery had a sidetrip to make before returning home.

Seven hours later, a play-off game between the Bangor Blue Ox and the Albany Diamond Dogs was just starting at Mahaney Diamond near the University of Maine at Orono campus north of Bangor. The ballpark was packed, but few in the crowd knew of the devilbunnies who also watched the game below them. One of them sat back in his office, watching the game on closed-circuit. No bun called him any name but 'Boss' or 'Sir'. He snacked on pickled toes as the Blue Ox pitcher struck-out another Dog batter. Things had gone smoothly at the operation since he had sent those Fudds-off a-packing. He couldn't believe the traitor-bun Fudd leader, Blake, hadn't launched a counter offensive against him. Simply a sign of weakness.

(static) "Sir!" (static..muffled screams and sounds of a fight) "We've got a problem by the service gate!"

The head bun toggled the intercom. "What do you mean, a problem?" (glarefluff)

"A bread truck pulled-up as if to make a delivery. The back doors opened and more than a score of grey squirrels leaped-out. The truck immediately roared away. The squirrels are attacking us as I speak. There's no fear in their eyes, just the fire of battle! They each fight like ten!" (more static and the sounds of a SCREEEEE! real close to the microphone at the other end).

"Squirrels?!" (STOMP!) "You are calling me about a small group of squirrels?! If you can't stand-up to a bunch of tree-rats, then I'm glad you won't be serving me much longer!" (STOMP!)

"Reinforcements are arriving now, sir. None of the crowd will notice, since the incident is taking place at the service ramp. FRITH!" (static....SCREEEE!!!!!)

"Corporal!"

(appologeticfluff) "Sir, I don't get it. They each fight biting and scratching away. But they aren't striking to kill...only to injure, before leaping to their next intended victim. We've just about finished them off as I'm speaking. That's it...Sorry to bother you, sir."

"Take the injured to the infirmary and don't bother me again, unless it is IMPORTANT!" (STOMP!)

"Yes, sir."

By the time the buns had learned the squirrels were rabid several days later when the first bun showed signs of the deadly virus, it was too late for most who had been wounded that day.

Continued in The China Battle