Originally posted 28 May-16 June, 1997, this story was a collaboration with
Randy "Smudge" Carnahan,
Jim "Steekman" Stickney (send mail to Steekman care of Scott Bernier for Steek is trying to avoid spam),
and Bryan "Brightspot" Hall.
I concieved the idea of Callie one day in May, and simply started posting in banter as her. She posted as a scared little girl who was converted into a bunny and was "running away from the bad buns" on the bunnymover system. (See Callie's Intro Story before you read this story!) After several weeks of banter, Steekman convinces Callie to provide him with the mover's ID code and the story unfolds from there.
©1997 by the parties above and
Scott Bernier.
First HTML-ized 28 July 1997.
Return to Scott's Stories homepage.
Return to Bryan's Stories Page
From: steekman@ix.netcom.con (Steekman) Subject: Tightbeam to Smudge Date: Mon, 26 May 1997 12:20:07 GMT [D:\>port.exe /t /bunix "stt@bush.bbw.net"] [bunix: tightbeam initiated] [bunix~$:]
*****Tightbeam to Smudge Tippy Tails*****
Hi there, Steekman here.
Say, I know we don't know each other, but I think we have a common element. I know you and I have been talking to callie over the last few days, and I'm sure you'd like to help her out. I know I do.
She has given me her bunmover terminal number, which means I can... have some bun friends hack it and get her somewhere safe. However, being human myself, I'd have a hard time being able to get to her once I've got her somewhere safe.
I know this'll sound strange, but I have some MedBuns who keep an eye on me, and I think it would be good if callie saw them. I also think it would be good to get her in contact with some real bunnies. She keeps mentioning a squirrel, and I dread the idea that some squirrel with Deuce's intentions has been tightbeaming her.
I don't know. I just feel like... I should help her. But I need a bunny's help.
Will you help me?
- Steekman =O><
*****Tightbeam Disengaged*****
Smudge hopped into the lab, empty now in the early hours of the day. The tables shined from the last cleaning and the air had a crisp clean smell to it. It reminded him a lot of a Med Facility more than a lab. There were no chemical smells. Just clean.
Fluffing, he moved to his table and punched in the code for his terminal and waited for it to collect mail and local message board posts. He busied himself with checking the new growth samples and wiggled with excitement as he saw that they were above the estimated rate of growth.
Suddenly his terminal rang out in three long beeps, something it had never done before. Curious, he hopped over and read the screen...
After a moment letting the message sink in, he tapped in a reply and sent it off. He had preparations to make....
> [D:\>port.exe /t /bunix "stt@bush.bbw.net"] > [bunix: tightbeam initiated] > [bunix~$:] > *****Tightbeam to Smudge Tippy Tails***** > Hi there, Steekman here.
Hello! [fluff!]
> Say, I know we don't know each other, but I think we have a common > element. I know you and I have been talking to callie over the last > few days, and I'm sure you'd like to help her out. I know I do.
I do! I am rather concerned for her safety. [nod nod]
> She has given me her bunmover terminal number, which means I can... > have some bun friends hack it and get her somewhere safe. However, > being human myself, I'd have a hard time being able to get to her once > I've got her somewhere safe.
I would have offered to bring her here to Blue Bush Warren, but it is not really a safe place for her. Not for long anyhow...[sad poofle] So, I am willing to do all I can to insure her safety.
> I know this'll sound strange, but I have some MedBuns who keep an eye > on me, and I think it would be good if callie saw them.
Yes! I heard conversion can be so dangerous...[fluff] Without medical attention, I fear she may be worse off.
> I also think it would be good to get her in contact with some real > bunnies. She keeps mentioning a squirrel, and I dread the idea that > some squirrel with Deuce's intentions has been tightbeaming her.
Yes, somebun who can look after her the way she deserves. [noddles] I have no idea who that squirrel is, so better safe than sorry. [thoughtful wiggle]
> I don't know. I just feel like... I should help her. But I need a > bunny's help. > Will you help me?
Yes! Let me know what I can do! I could meet up with her, if at all possible! My warren is in Michigan, so if you can set up an interception course...[fluffs]....I can hurry to meet her and at least assure that she is not alone until we can meet these medbuns you mentioned.
I will be ready as soon as I recieve word of where to meet her!
[readytohopandhelpfluff]
"Smudge"
> *****Tightbeam Disengaged***** *****$Return_Path Found***** *****Locating. . . . . Destination Located***** *****Confirm Delivery? (y/n) >Y *****$Message_Body SENT*****
Steekman wasn't really working for anybunny in particular, but he did find odd jobs to do from place to place. Most work he obtained from bunny recommendations and such, generally working for part time jobs at sympathizer companies, or family owned symp businesses. One of the things he did the most was make warehouse runs.
Sympathizers warrant about as much respect as squirrels to most buns, but they were excellent for business. It's hard for fanged, talking bunnies to do well in the business world, so they go through distributors and re-sellers, and own stock in symp businesses. As such, those sympathizers are supplied directly from the bunnies themselves, through the massive bunny underground.
The bunny underground was inexpensive to run, as it ran on known bunmover lines, and resided underground, so no property costs were incurred. It was also fast, as the bunnies could avoid the administration and hoopla that it would take to use conventional human means. And it was far-reaching, with bunmovers that could go across the oceans as easily as across the street.
But they still needed someone to drive the trucks.
Now, Steekman sat within a waiting area while the truck he was assigned to drive was being loaded, talking to a doe.
"It's not like I'm asking for a raise
Steekman nodded in agreement, and said, "Well, why don't you talk to your boss face to face, instead of using e-mail? Maybe that would help."
"Well, I can't do that right now,
"Oh heck, I'll watch it, it ain't goin nowhere. Go get that buck off his duff and tell him what's what," Steekman said, smiling at her.
She though about it for a moment, and eventually said, "Ok.
Just don't hit any buttons, you might break it. If you wait a couple
minutes, a pretty screen saver will come up!
"Is it the one with those multi-colored worms?
The doe
Two minutes later, Steekman was in the main BunMover status server, scanning for callie's terminal ID.
Steekman knew quite a bit about bunix, more than most buns would even consider. For a period of two weeks, he had been approved for an official Bunix terminal while his own notebook was in the shop. The approval had been a dream come true, and in those two weeks, Steekman learned more than he though he'd ever know about the bunnies and how they worked. More than he wanted to know, in some cases, but that was expected. Steekman was used to the darker side of the fluff by now.
There, he thought to himself. Got her terminal and her bunmover. Iowa, huh? Okay...
Steekman re-routed callie's bunmover to take her into southern Michigan, a stop that would put her in near where Smudge could join her. With Smudge on the bunmover, Steek could be sure that she wouldn't be getting into trouble on her trip. Too many people seemed to have grown interest in the little convert, too many with suspicious motives.
As an after thought, Steekman scanned the messages saved within the newsreader for tightbeams, checking for Fudds.
"TreeHugger. Hmmm. Don't know him. One from Smudge.
Toe eating? Good one, Smudge, she'll love that, I'm sure.
Mistie was the bun jabbing at Heather McGregor about her son, or so Heather had widebeamed. Steekman felt a momentary twang of guilt, remembering his response. Not only had he blown her off, probably the only Fudd he'd ever come anywhere near trusting, he'd felt anger and rage at Mistie. Why, why kick her when she's down, he had thought. Reading over her message, he understood now. Abused and tortured by Fudds as a kit, she obviously had good reason to hate Fudds.
"Nobun should be like that, though. Bunnies should be fluffy and cute, or something..." Steekman muttered. Inside he felt a slight pang, seeing a similarity between Mistie's feelings and his own.
"No one should hate that much," he said. "But so what? I'll never even meet her, much less console her. Just more useless feelings wasted on does I'll never meet."
As Steekman closed the connection, he adjusted the KitMode flag on Callie's terminal to allow her to type using full punctuation, while still maintaining the PiG-13 filters. Little slips like Smudge's would always come through, so taking out the filters was a big no-no. But at least she'd be able to type normally.
When the doe returned, she found Steekman staring at the screen-saver, absently playing with Ears the Bunny.1
"Isn't it pretty?
"It sure is," Steekman said, putting on his best lowly-innocent-symp face.
- Steekman@ix.netcom.com O>< - In company of Randy, Scott, and Bryan - [1] He's a beanie baby, silly!
Steekman wrote:
smudge im back and im alright
you should have been there i found dis field and some woods nearby i tried clover and and dandelions and maple buds and
> As Steekman closed the connection, he adjusted the KitMode flag > on Callie's terminal to allow her to type using full punctuation, while > still maintaining the PiG-13 filters. Little slips like Smudge's would > always come through, so taking out the filters was a big no-no. But > > at least she'd be able to type normally.
it all taste so good! (yumfluff) Hey! What's this? My computer is working right now! (hopspinfluff) Steekman must have got those good techbuns to fix it. Now, now I can sound like a 10 year old rather than...then a two year old (gigglefluff).
Where was I? (scratchear) Oh, yeah. Anyways, Smudge, I liked maple buds the bestest. And I gathered some extra clover and dandelions so I'll have something other than dried carrot chips to eat on the bunnymover.
(earslayback) Why is the bunnymover is picking-up in speed? (tapkeys) (panicfluff) I can't control it. It's running on it's own. It's programmed for someplace in Michegan. (squealcower) The bad buns are on to me! Help me, Smudge! Help! (clawsuselessly at controls) Don't let the bad buns get me! (pleadfluff)
Callie
From: Smudge TippyTails
The dawning of the day shown with pretty and cute colors on the horizon. Soft pinks and oranges mixed with striking purples and reds. It was quite beautiful watching the sun rise up behind him to paint the waters of Lake Michigan, almost as it was relaxing. Yet Smudge was anything but relaxed. He was to meet with the mentat shortly about leaving.
In the growing light he thought quietly about Callie, the human girl converted into a bun. At first he was not sure if she was telling the truth, but the growing number of others who had taken interest had silently moved that thought right out of his bunny mind. Instead, he had grown steadily more and more concerned and protective of Callie's safety. She was being contacted by some that Smudge was sure wanted more then just her safety, but there was little he could do about it.
At least until a few days ago when he had received the tightbeam from Steekman. He had been offered a chance to help. How could he possibly turn it down? He fluffed in excitement knowing he could now help her. It meant leaving some of his experiments behind, but really, that did not bother him much. There were the others to look after them, after all, he had taught them himself. His only fear was facing his mentat and that time had come.
With a deep
"Hello, Techbun Smudge," she greetings fluffed. Her eyes were all warm and cute, but Smudge knew better. She was determined to earn the respect of the mentat, thus would not even consider any of the bucks in the warren.
"May I help you?"
She busied herself checking her terminal and pressed a few
keys, glances at him and flicked her lashes a few times. She may not
be interested, but she sure flirted. Smudge
"Ahh, there you are, Smudge. Hold on." She pressed a button on her desk, "Sir, Techbun Smudge TippyTails to see you."
There was a silent moment, then the speaker on her desk spoke, "Send him in. Now." The voice sounded impatient, almost annoyed. This did not make Smudge feel better.
"Thanks," he replied and moved passed her desk and slowly opened the door to the mentat's office burrow. Inside was decorated with pictures of Great Buns of history, as well as some "wanted posters" of Great Fudds. Other than those, the office was neat and clean. Even the carpet held no mark of being used. The mentat was *very* strict about being clean and neat. The mentat himself was behind his desk and looked up as Smudge came closer after closing the door.
"Okay, fine. Does this have anything to do with the Fudds you
have been contacting?"
Smudge felt the tingle of fear again. "Um, no...not exactly. It's about that Callie doe....sir." He perked his ears and ruffled his fur. "I am going to help her get to safety before the Fudds can get to her."
"With the help of that symp?" came the mentat turning to look deep into Smudge's eyes.
"Steekman," replied Smudge, taking a hop back, "or actually
some buns he knows."
The mentat thought a moment, then
Smudge quickly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Randy rcarn @ novagate.com Honored in the company of Steekman, Scott, and Bryan
The bunmover moved slowly at first as it left the small station from Blue Bush Warren. It would travel first east to the bigger warren in Grand Rapids, then south to meet Callie's bunmover just on the Michigan side of the border. Smudge had brought only the least of necessities to get by with: his portable Bunix terminal (tied in right at the lab so he did not miss too much), some quick snacks, and some ID of himself.
After a short ride he moved into Grand Rapids, grabbed the southbound bunmover and settled in for the ride. He opened up his terminal and scanned the 'Net for any new posts of Callie's whereabouts and safety. Not finding any he settled down and dozed off. The sound of the mover slowly easing him into a slumber. His mind filled with dreams of Callie and getting her to the medbuns and of Steekman. He had never met a symp face to face before. The only human he had seen close up had been when he was still young and in school and the human did not want to talk. The sudden thought of the attack on his classmates long ago suddenly woke him up.
He looked around and shook his head. The bunmover had stopped and he got off to stretch his paws. He looked around and saw that the terminal was empty. There was absolutely nobun around. He looked in the office, but found the door locked. He looked behind the counter at the SPAM™ stand and found it empty as well. Everything had an abandoned look and feel to it. He suddenly thought he might have gotten off at the wrong terminal by mistake.
Then, as he was hopping back to the bunmover, another 'mover came into the terminal and stopped. It looked empty as well, Smudge seeing no bunnies inside from his place on the terminal walk. Curious he hopped closer and then saw the door open with a slight hiss. Yet, no bun came out. He perked his ears and listened intensely, but could hear nothing.
He moved towards the doors and peeked in and saw a pile of what appeared to be maple buds. The steady glow of a terminal screen lit the car. Now extremely curious, his mind wheeling for more information, he decided to enter the 'mover and look closer.
"Hello?" he said, as he picked up a nibbled-on maple bud. It was
silent, he heard nothing. "Anybun here?!?"
Still no answer.
"Hmmph....this is awfully strange." He started down the mover looking in each seat until he reached the back where supplies would normally be stored for long trips. A part of him knew what this meant, but there was no sign of what he expected to be here, and that scared him. Had they gotten to her before he could?
As he reached the back, he turned around to go back and look at the terminal, but then heard a sound like a whimper. A soft sound to his left. His ear had barely caught heard it and he perked his ears and listened extra hard.
Nothing.
He thought a moment and nodded to himself. "Seems empty, I guess I will get off now," he said a bit louder than normal. He then hopped back towards the front, thumping his paws hard enough to make a sound. Once he reached the front he crouched up in the front seat and layed back his ears and waited.
A full five minutes went by and nothing happened. He continued to stay still and held his breath as long as he could. The only sound came from the bunix terminal with an occasional beep. He was starting to think that he had imagined the sound just as he heard one of the doors to the supply cabinets open slowly.
He tensed and held his place, doing his best to remain calm. He could hear the soft hops coming up the walkway, slow, timid, and cautious. He then saw the fur of a calico colored bunny slowly come forward, nose sniffing, and ears twitching to capture sound. The bun was about the same size as Smudge, but as he caught a glimpse of her eyes he saw the child-like light to them. The innocence of a young mind.
And then she saw him and jumped back against the far wall of the mover. (scrunchmuzzlescaredfluff) "Who...who are you?" (tearyeyedfrightenedpoofle)
"Who wants to know?" came the reply with (widebambieyes).
"I am Smudge! I am here to meet you!"
(curiouswiggle) "You're Smudge?" (wigglemuzzle) "Prove it."
That caught Smudge off guard. He had not thought of that. He
could show her his ID but he remembered that might not mean much
to a 10 year old. He had no *real* proof.
(tearyeyedpoofle) "You really Smudge?"
(bunnihugs) "You are Smudge! You are! You are!" (bunnihugs)
"....before the bad buns gets us, huh?" interrupted Callie with a (scaredfluff).
"Steekman's friends did that?" she asked poking her head out the door. "I thought it was da bad buns." (scrunchmuzzle) "I was very scared that they would get me." (scratchearscaredfluff) "I am still scared of them."
Setting down his gear, he glanced at Callie who was looking back
with wide bambi eyes. Her whole body wiggled with excitement.
"Well, Callie, it should be soon now."
He only wish he felt his words were true.
By Steekman
The weekend had went by slow and sluggish, and Steekman hadn't been feeling well. Continually tierd, and having lost his appetite, he figured he needed a trip to those MedBuns he was preaching about to Callie as badly as she did. But not yet. It'd be better for her if he was there getting treated as well. Hopefully neither she nor Smudge would ask exactly why he was being treated.
Porting into a temporary Bunix account, he checked the BunMover schedules and found callie's mover. It had left Michigan heading east, but without an exact location, it wouldn't find his BunStation, but make regular stops along the line, which wouldn't do if there really were "bad buns" after Callie.
He typed in two commands, and watched as his prompt flashed at him for a moment, then a voice was heard.
"Umm...
"Hey Smudge. It's Steekman."
"St... Steekman? Cool!
"I'm on a different terminal, no buncamera." Not a complete lie, after all. "My friends need you to input some extra parameters into the terminal, to get the BunMover going straight to where we're at."
"Oh. Sure," Smudge fluffed.
It only took a moment, and to Smudge, it didn't change the BunMover at all, but inside the electronics of the high-speed mover, it's command center registered the new instructions and locations, and adjusted it's itenirary accordingly.
"So... how's Callie?" Steekman asked.
"Fine.
"Oh no, don't do that. Nothing worse you can do. I'll see her when you get here. I won't be in the BunStation itself, I'll be right outside. They don't like symps hanging out unattended inside," Steekman said, carefully hiding any bits of bitterness he might feel while making that statement.
"Well, how will I know you?
"Don't worry, there wont be many there, and I wont be hard to mistake for anyone else. I'll see you there, Smudge."
"Ok. Bye Steekman!
Jim cut the transmission off, and rolled into his bed. His body was spent and weak, and he felt nauseous and faint. Slowly, he tried to go to sleep, but the nightmares of a thwarted conversion continued to haunt him.
Tommorrow, he thought. Tomorrow me and Callie will be well again. The buns will help. They have before. Why wouldn't they now?
The ride had not been all that long. The course they had taken kept them away from the major bunmover stations and there rarely occurred a stop along the way. Smudge had talked with Callie and she was much more relaxed and happy with him there. He knew that his company was helping her, but inside, he knew that she would not be truly happy until her parents found. He could see the battle to remember in her eyes. The battle to remember her parents and her life as a little girl. He felt a great sadness for her. It was not right for one so young to had been converted. She was just too innocent and too young for what had been done to her.
Now she idly looked out the window at the speeding darkness around them as he scanned the newsgroup for new posts. It has been his only form of communication except for the chat with Steekman. It had been good to hear the human, just for encouragement. The bunmover may be fast, but it was not exactly a luxury vessel. Only one bunix terminal for the whole 'mover and nothing else to entertain. Smudge could understand why Callie wanted to get off the bunmover soon.
Not finding much new on the newsgroup, except for an
interesting post from a Fudd that made him giggle, he turned towards
Callie. "
She did not look at him to answer. "(scunchmuzzlesofteyes) 'Bout Mommy and Daddy." She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. "I'm.....I'm trying so hard to remember. (tearyeyedpout) It's getting hard." She was about to cry and Smudge moved closer.
"
"(happyfluffhopefuleyes) You think so, Smudge?" She hopped up and down, the very icon of excitement.
Smudge closed his eyes for a second and then smiled at her.
He did not want to lie, but neither could he voice his doubts. For a
moment he looked at her and just looked into those childlike eyes. He
saw his black and white muzzle staring back....but it was a reflection
of sweet innocence. He felt his parental instincts kicking in.
"
She giggled and looked at the bunix terminal. "(curiouswiggle) You done with it?"
"
She nodded and hopped over to the terminal and brought up the webbrowser. Smudge noted that even the browser was outdated, not having any of the kyOOt Microsoft(tm) features that he liked. He moved to one of the empty areas and poofled down into a comfortable position to sleep. Soon he was asleep and having fluffy dreams of being back home. He really missed his routine, but he did not regret leaving. He just wished he could have brought his lab too.
He had not been asleep more than 30 minutes when he heard Callie calling his name. "Smudge! Smudge! We're stopping! There are so many bunnies here!" He could hear in her voice her worry and he looked up to see her looking between him and the bright lights coming from the bunmover station outside.
"(worriedscaredfluff) Smudge! I see somebun looking at us!"
Smudge hopped over to look out. The bun looking at the mover looked to be just another bun waiting for his 'mover and was checking to see if this was his. Smudge quickly checked the bunix terminal and looked for the destination information. He saw:
Location: Station #5617 (NY)
Mover Destination Reached.
Awaiting further commands....
//Wait time 1 hour\\
Then the doors hissed open and Callie almost shrieked in
fright. They had passed a few stations like this, but they had never
stopped. He moved to look out and saw bunnies moving to and from
other movers. There were several movers coming or going and he
knew that soon this one would close it's doors and carry them off
again. "This has to be the place," he thought to himself, but turning to
Callie he said, "Get whatever you have with you have, Callie. We're
here.
Callie nodded and joined him as they both got off the 'mover. Buns moved around them, but none paid much attention. A voice spoke over a PA system, "Bunmover to Philadelphia leaving at deck A in 10 minutes. Repeat, bunmover to Philadelphia leaving at deck A in 10 minutes." Smudge just moved Callie and himself to the side of the station and took a longer look around. Steekman may have given him directions, but first he needed to orient himself. He closed his eyes and brought forth his conversation with Steekman.
"Smudge? (questionfluff) Are you going to sleep?" There was a note of worry in her voice.
"
"Huh?" said Callie as he ushered her along. "(scaredwhineyvoice) Smudge...where are we going?"
"Down this hallway, Callie. We should meet Steekman at the
other end." He looked over his back to make sure nobun was
following them. He could see none but he was still cautious. "They
make most of the symps stay outside, I guess.
They reached the end of the hallway and found themselves in a much bigger room that was on the surface. Sunlight streamed in from a single skylight window high above them. There were a few humans moving around but none looked at them. Steekman said they would recognize him. Heaving a sigh, Smudge was suddenly overcome by doubt. Then he heard a voice behind him, above and behind more like.
"Smudge? Callie?" it said.
Slowly Smudge turned around and slowly looked all the way up to look at the human in front of them.
"Yes," he replied. "I am Smudge."
He stood about six foot tall, dirty-blonde hair and hazy blue eyes, head topped with a simple gray ballcap. Dressed in boots, baggy blue jeans, and a loose fitting t-shirt, he seemed like any average person you might see walking along the street. The stuffed Bambi toy he held under one arm would have drawn some looks, though.
"Hi guys, I'm Steekman, " he said, with a smile and a wave of the hand.
Callie gave a bit of a squeal and hopped over to him. "Stekman! (excitedpoof) I'm so glad we found you can we go to the nice bunnies now but before we do that I'm starved I wanna eat something the bunmover was soooo boring and didn't have nothin' but chips to eat (ruffle) can we eat nowm, huh, can we pleeeeease? (deweyeyesnosetwitch)"
Steekman laughed a bit and smiled at the lovely doe. "We sure can. You must be Callie, then?"
She nodded. Smudge hopped up to her side and said, "And I am
Smudge.
"The pleasure is mine. My first name's Jim, if you want. Or Steek, I answer to both. Anyway, my car's right outside, and I know a nice little spot about a mile from here we can get a bit to eat without anyone freaking out at talking bunnies. How about it?"
With introductions done, and rumbling tummies insisting on attention, the buns readily agreed.
They stopped for about an hour at a roadside cafe with picnic tables to eat at. A nice, secluded table off the road provided ample shade and cover to let the bunnies eat in peace, as well as let them stretch their legs after the ride.
"Aren't you hot in those pants, Steek?" Smudge asked, once he had eaten his fill.
"A little, but it keeps the bugs off my legs," Steekman said.
Smudge thought that was odd, since he hadn't seen so much as a
mosquito, but he let it pass and asked "What do you do around here,
anyway?
"Just odd jobs, mostly for symp companies and bun organizations. I drive trucks and haul cargo where it needs to go. I'm still looking for a good, steady job, but it keeps me fed."
"With the way you draw, you should be doing something artistic!
"Well, that and I have a bit of a knack with computers that I'm looking into. But I'm keeping my ears open for a bunny-related job."
"How come?
"I... need to stay near bunnies. Bunny warrens, anyway. It's... a medical thing," he said, shrugging absently.
Again, Smudge thought the symp wasn't telling him something, but if it was medical, he figured it wasn't his business. Shouldn't pry into other bun's business, he thought.
They drove for about half an hour after that to a small building out in the countryside. It appeared to be a veterinary clinic set right off the side of a farm. The scenery was pleasantly green and lush, large trees and foliage giving ample places for bunnies to roam.
On the inside, it was indeed a veterinary clinic, but in the back and partially underground was a much larger area staffed by bunnies. The rooms were set up for easy human and bunny access, as the clinic had human staff to operate the veterinary side of the operation.
The three of them sat in the waiting area, Callie looking decidedly unnerved by being there. Seeing her tension, Steek said "Hey Callie, you ok?"
"I... (nervoustwitch) I'm scared. I don't wanna get hurt by bad bunnies again."
"There's nothing to worry about. These buns are really cool, they've been keeping me well for a long time now. And they have bun sized suckers if you're good, you know," he said, doing his best to comfort her.
Just then a MedBun hopped out from the back room. The buck carried a clipboard with him and was a handsome reddish brown, with shining black eyes. With a smile, he said, "Hiya Steekman, who're your friends?"
"This is Callie and Smudge. I know I didn't make an appointment, but I was wondering if you could take a look at Callie for me?"
"Well, it would have been better if you had called ahead.
"I don't think it will be any problem at all,
"Doctor Tealpaw!
"I hadn't planned on it, but I heard my favorite symp was showing up," she said, with a slow look at Steekman.
"Umm... Hi ma'am. I, uhh.." Steekman stuttered.
"Brought some friends with you?
"Why, you must be Callie. Such a beautiful little calico you've turned out to be, dear," she said, smiling warmly with her best cute stance. "Tell me, are you feeling ok?"
"I... I was changed by.. by bad bunnies and I used to be a little girl and and Stekman said I should come here cause you was nice bunnies and you could... could.." (nervousfluff) she said, stuttering at the end under Tealpaw's continual gaze.
"We *are* nice bunnies, dear. Bartholomew here is an excellent
MedBun, and he's going to take wonderful care of you. Will you go
with him, so he can help you?
"Well...
With a long look at Steekman, she said, "Steekman and I are going to have a little... chat."
- Steekman@ix.netcom.com O><
"Quite a lovely little doe you've found there, Steekman.
"Yes... she's been posting on the net, and I thought I might be able to give her a hand by-"
"I know. I've been keeping up with the conversations. I said I'd keep
an eye on you, remember?
"Umm... yes..."
"Though, I'm curious about why you didn't come to me sooner.
"She... she said there were bad buns after her, and I thought-"
"That I might be one of them?
Steekman looked away, and said, "No, ma'am. I know you're one of the good buns-"
"You are correct, of course.
"-but I thought some of those bad buns might know you," Steekman finished.
Tealpaw took a moment to consider that, and said, "That doesn't explain why you hacked into the main Bunix network to direct her BunMover."
Steekman seemed taken back by that, and said, "Well... who was I to go to, ma'am? I don't know who to trust, these 'bad buns' she's talking about could be anybun."
"But Steekman, we're all good buns, aren't we?
Steekman looked directly at her and said, "Ma'am, please. I'm loyal. I'm not blind."
Tealpaw kept an even gaze with Steekman for a moment, and then
said, "Well then, Steekman. With that in mind, what are your thoughts
on Callie?
"My thoughts are this: She's been converted against her will, and whatever the disease does to erase your memory, didn't work. And the buns that did this to her didn't have a chance to fix the problem. I would guess the buns that did this are hunting her down to correct the problem, one way or another."
"And this is bad because...?
"Because too many Fudds know about her. It'll be an instant flag that they can use, just like BunnyHugger is doing now. "
"
"I think we should allow her to try to regain her own memory, in the prescence of bunnies that aren't trying to hurt her. The disease is still doing it's job, but slowly. If she regains her memory in the prescence of good bunnies, it'll twist the originals up enough that she won't be able to accept that *all* bunnies are like that. Plus, it'll look good for bunnies, just like my own cure does."
A bright smile slowly crept across Tealpaw's muzzle, and she said,
"Excellent thinking.
Steekman smiled, but somewhere deep inside him, a small ragged fleck of a soul cringed.
- Steekman@ix.netcom.com O><
Smudge looked about the examining room, though it was fairly unremarkable. Colored in an off-beige pastel, and holding all the medical equipment within cabinets and drawers, there was little to look at. He thought that some posters or drawings would help to make the room more cheery for the young, though he was doubtful if it would help to alleviate Callie's fears.
"Now, just give us a big stretch, Callie.
Callie obliged, though reluctantly. Smudge had to practically sit on the table with her to keep her still, but the examination had gone well so far. Drawing blood had not been fun, but luckily Callie had't clawed anybun.
A nursebun came in and whispered something in Bartholomew's ear, then handed him a clipboard. He looked over the chart and gave the nurse a nod. Then finished his physical with Callie.
"Well Callie,
"Will they make me a little girl again? Stekman said you... (nervousfluff) you could change me back again... (hopefuleyes)"
"Oh. Well..." the MedBun said, somewhat taken aback. He then said in a low tone, "Callie, you've converted all the way. There's... no way to change you back at this point. I thought you understood-"
"But but... (STOMP!) Stekman said you could! He's a good symp! Why not! Why not why not why not!"
"Callie, come on now
"No! I wanna be a girl! Where's Stekman? Why did he lie to me?" she said, frantically looking around.
"Well go see him right after you've had your shots, Callie," Bartholomew said. "He's being examined right now, and if you-"
"No! No no no! I don't wanna!" she cried, and leapt out of the examining room.
"Callie!" Smudge called after her, but she was running down the hall, looking for Steekman. It took her only moments to find the human sized room, and she leapt in.
"Stekman! (stomp) You lied to me you said they could make me a girl but (tearyeyedfluff) they can't why did you lie to me I thought you were a good sy- (gasp)"
She stopped her rant for a moment looking at Steekman sitting on the examining table. Tealpaw was seated beside him on the table, Steek's right hand in her paws. She had looked up when she came in, startled. She had been looking at his claws. Small, dark points that protruded from each fingertip. Each was slightly curled, and black as ebony. They shined a bit under the lights of the room, looking wicked and evil.
"Ste... Stekman! What did you do to him?! Leave him alone!" she cried, hopping for the table.
"Easy, EASY Callie! She didn't do anything wrong. Nothing's wrong, hun. Everything's fine," he said to her, stopping her with his right hand as she leapt towards the table.
"Stekman, what's going on? I don't understand, the bunnies said they couldn't make me a girl and and and.. and... (tearyeyedbawl)" she said, staring at his hands.
"Oh man," Steekman muttered. "Come on Callie. Lets have a talk."
The day was warm and sunny, though their spot in the shade was cool and mild. A slight breeze shook the leaves and branches, creating a quiet backdrop of noise for them to talk. It was a perfect day, and Smudge, Callie and Steekman sat and talked.
Steekman had put on a set of shorts for the weather, and the reason for the long pants was now apparent. His legs were deformed grossly, the joints having been moved about by the partial conversion he had endured. He was barefoot, and his feet were strange and oblong, looking like that of a bunnies's. Small tufts of dark brown fur were growing all over his feet, and the claws couldn't be totally retracted, and were just visible.
"I have a tail, too. But I don't think I'd feel comfortable flashing a 10 year old," Steekman said, smiling a bit.
"St- Stekman... why did they do this to you?" (confusedtearyeyes) Callie asked.
"They didn't do anything, hun," he said, nodding towards the building. "This happened because a kit, not much older than you, thought that I should be a bunny."
"Then he's a bad bunny!" (STOMP!)
"No, Callie. He just made a mistake. He didn't know what he was doing. He's not a bad bun at all."
"But... only bad buns turn humans into bunnies."
"Not always, Callie. Lots of really good buns turn humans into bunnies everyday when people ask them to. And they do a really good job of it."
"Then... who are the bad bunnies?"
"Bunnies are just like people, Callie. You can't just label them good or bad like that, anymore than you could for people. And bunnies make mistakes, too. But the medbuns I went to tried to help. They did their best to stop me from changing, but it couldn't be perfect. Not everything is.
"That's why I thought they could change you back. I didn't realize that you'd changed so much, or maybe I did... I was just hoping...you know.....
"I'm sorry, Callie."
Callie stared at the ground without looking at him, big wet teardrops falling from her eyes. After a moment, she hopped into Steekman's lap, and said in a barely audible whisper, "It's okay, Stekman." She hugged him, wiping her muzzle on his shirt.
After a moment, Smudge looked at Steekman with a somber face, and said, "It hasn't stopped converting you yet, has it?"
"No Smudge. That's why I need to stay near warrens."
"But everyone on the net thinks you're human.
"I know. Do you think any of them would listen to me if they knew about this? I couldn't even exist in the human world, for fear of revealing the race. And every Fudd on the continent would have a field day with this, I just know it.
"You can't tell anyone, Ok Smudge? Not yet."
"I wont. Though I think you would make a great bunny, Steekman,
"Everybun says so, Smudge," said Steekman, turning to look into a window of the veterinary clinic.
And if one looked closely at one of the windows, one could see a teal colored doe, staring back with half a smile on her muzzle.
- Steekman@ix.netcom.com O><
For a moment, only the wind through the trees, and Callie's quiet breathing could be heard amongst the shade. They sat quietly, no communication being necessary between them. No words needed to be spoken, they simply fell at peace in the prescence of each other.
After a moment, Callie looked-up from Steekman's lap. "Just because I'm stuck" (poutfluff) "as a bunny doesn't mean I can't still try to find Mommy and Daddy. Can the medbuns try and help me remember, Stekman?" (pleadingbambieyes)
Steekman hesitated a moment. "I really don't know, hun. We'll have to ask them." He scritched her behind the ears just right. "But you have to take your shots like a big bun."
(nervoustwitch) "That's what the bad buns had said. And look what it did." (dismaywiggle) "Why do I need these shots?"
"When you were a girl," Smudge piped-in. "You had to have
vaccinations against diseases such as Mumps, the Measles, and so on.
As a bunny, you need the same thing, but for such bunny diseases as"
"Really?" Callie asked. Smudge nodded. "OK, let's go back to the medbuns."
Callie apologized to both Tealpaw (though she was still nervous in front of Tealpaw) and Bartholomew for her behavior. It didn't take long after that to get Callie to sit still for the shots, especially after Smudge had gone first and showed it didn't hurt. Callie agreed afterwards that she had never had a painless shot before this. In the meantime, Tealpaw took care of Steekman.
"Can you help me remember?" (pleadingbambieyesfluff)
Bartholomew hesitated a moment, glancing in the direction of Tealpaw, who nodded. "We'll try, but Bunnyvirus tends to make you forget some of your memories, Callie" (appologeticfluff).
He led her to a comfortable bun-sized couch and the others sat around it. He started a metronome. (Tick, tock, tick, tock...) "I want you to relax, Callie, and think happy thoughts. If you feel yourself falling asleep, don't fight it, allow it to happen." Bartholomew continued to speak in an encouraging and quiet voice as Callie's eyes drooped and she fell into a trance-like sleep.
"You're going back to when you were a girl, Callie. You are home. I want you to describe what you see."
Callie spoke slowly and in a smaller child-like voice. "I see... my home." (giggle) "a big-old farmhouse with a large open porch with chairs and swings to sit on. There's woods nearby and there's two squirrelys who...who come right up to me and take peanuts out of my hand" (happylaughter) "they're so cute!"
(encouragefluff) "That's wonderful, Callie. Describe the farmhouse..."
"It's big and white and we have this big, long driveway out to the main road. There's a flagpole out front. There are two flags on it. We have a red barn to one side and the farm is surrounded by fields of wheat... no... corn..." (scrunchmuzzle) "no...both wheat and corn...and....and the fields go as far as I can see."
"Can you describe the flags, Callie?"
"The top one has red and white stripes with a red maple leaf. The bottom one is green and...real light brown...the brown of wheat and there's a flower on the right side....There's a pick-up truck pulling into the driveway. It's DADDY!" (excitedwiggle) "He's back from the trip to Regina! and...and he's got a present for me. It's a bunny!" (happysqueal) "A DB bunny who calls herself Muffy...."
"What is your Daddy's name, Callie?"
"Daddy....that's always been his name..."
Bartholomew (sighfluffed) "And what name does Daddy use for you?"
"He calls me his little sweatheart..."
Bartholomew was a bit frustrated with this and he could see that Tealpaw was growing impatient. "Callie, can you see the license plate on the pick-up truck?"
"Yes."
"Can you describe it, or read the numbers."
Callie moved in her trance (discomfortfluff) "I can't see it clearly. Every time I look at it, it goes all fuzzy. All I can see is the letters at the bottom....S...a...s...k...a...t...it's all fuzzy now..."
"That's ok, dear, you've done real good. On the count of three, you're going to wake-up and feel real good. Ready...one, two...three."
Callie opened her eyes, and (yawnfluffed), stretching-out. She looked at the medbun. "How did I do?"
"I tried to help you remember, Callie. I couldn't get you to give me your human name or your parents' names, but I know where you're from." Callie's eyes brightened-up. "It seems you're from Canada, Saskatchewan Province."
Callie's eyes brightened-up a little more. "I remember!" (hopspinwiggle) "I remember! I grew-up on a farm out in the middle of no where. The schoolbus rides would take over an hour...and the wheat went on forever in all directions!" She leaped at and (bunnihugged) Bartholomew. "Thank you!"
Tealpaw gave a glance at Bartholomew and Steekman and the two understood they should follow her. A nursebun showed Smudge and Callie to another room.
Once away from Callie and Smudge, Tealpaw and Bartholomew sat across from each other, while Steekman stood just to the side. "Your findings?" she said to the buck.
"She lacked a few booster shots and was suffering from minor malnutrition, but otherwise, quite healthy for a convert that has been a bunny for at least six months."
Awfully long time for a girl to be a bunny and not realize it, Steekman thought. He kept silent, knowing better than to speak without being spoken to, when face to face with bunnies.
"She appeared to be holding something back," Bartholomew continued. "But I don't know if it was intentional or by accident."
Tealpaw nodded and turned to Steekman. "You've been communicating with her via the bunnet for some time, Steekman. What can you add?"
Steekman thought it was odd that she would ask his advice in front of a perfectly competent Alpha, but he took it in stride and said, "She's been severely traumatized if what she's said about 'the bad buns' is true."
"And...?
"And if that is the case, then somebun fluffed-up royally in converting her. She kept saying the 'bad buns' tried to make her hurt humans and she refused and they would punish her. Then she fought back one day and ran away and has been on the run since."
"So what are we to do for Callie?" Tealpaw turned back to Bartholomew.
He thought for a moment. "Perhaps take her to her home province. Maybe she'll regain more of her memories, perhaps we could reunite her and her parents, which would be good PR."
Tealpaw gave Bartholomew a big-eyed smile. "Excellent idea. And I think I have a volunteer to take her there. Thank you, Bartholomew, that will be all." Without watching the medbun leave, Tealpaw continued with Steekman. "Steekman, I'd like *you* to take Callie, 'home', if there's a home left for her."
This confused Steekman somewhat. "Other than good PR, why would you want this done? And why me?"
"Because you're my favorite sympathizer, of course!
Steekman nodded, carefully showing no emotion.
"If not, then maybe you can find the buns who did such a poor job
converting Callie. I want to have a talk with them. And she trusts
you, Steekman. After all, you're a good symp. This won't be a
problem, will it?
"Of course not, Ma'am."
Steekman told Callie the good news that evening. She was very ecstatic over the news. Smudge agreed to come along, at least part way for the trip. They would depart the following morning.
Callie packed lots of food in a bunny-sized back. Steekman and Smudge looked at her strangely and asked why she had so much food.
(embarrassedwiggle) "Well...well...um...the last time I went for a 'short' ride in the bunnymovers, it took a lot longer then I thought, and... and I want more than carrot chips to eat this time."
Smudge and Steekman shrugged it off. They waited in the busy bunnymover for their mover to arrive, got aboard and left the station. Steekman with Smudge sitting next to him ' to guiding him' programmed the mover and they were on their way.
About an hour into the ride, Callie asked to use the Bunnet and was given space to do so. She called-up some old articles she hadn't read yet from alt.devilbunnies and saw one from Treerunner, an old TIGHTBEAM to her:
[snip...] > Callie.. this is very important. I need you to let me know *before* >(EmphaticFlickFlick) you enter that code. I want to be there for you >when you arrive. > And if you decide not to come live with us here, then tell me that >too, and I'll help you stay safe.TIGHTBEAM DISENGAGED
Callie activated a return TIGHTBEAM
Treehugger, I'm with Smudge and Steekman. We just left the nice medbuns who examined me. I can't go back to being a girl (disappointedpoof), but they said I'm a healthy bunny. And they helped me remember a little. I'm from Saskatchewan, Canada and Steekman and Smudge are going to try and take me home.
But I want to visit you and your friends first. Maybe they can help me remember a little bit more. So right after this message, I'm going to type that code you gave me. (hopefulfluff) It still works!
See you in a few days! (bunnihugs)
Callie
END TIGHTBEAM
Callie typed the commands into the terminal:
fluffall destinations
go maintdep 363-2541
The bunnymover's quiet whine changed in tone and the outside lights turned-off. A red light appeared on the dash. Steekman moved quickly to the controls. He looked at Callie.
"What happened?"
Callie showed Steekman the tightbeam from Treerunner. "We're going to go see Treehugger before you take me home. He helped me just like you did." (hop)
"Is there anything you can do?" Smudge asked as Steekman typed frantically at the controls.
Steekman shook his head negative. Callie seemed to take it all in stride. "Now aren't you glad I packed all that food!" (gigglefluff) She dug-out a Snapple™ for both Steekman and Smudge. "Come'on, we'll play some games in the back end."
Steekman was surrounded by computer boards and various pieces of the control panel of the BunnyMover. He looked at Smudge and shrugged. "I can't get around that maintenance lockout, Smudge. We're stuck, going wherever that code is going to take us." He started putting the console back together, for it wasn't a good idea for it to be in pieces when they arrived..
Smudge sighed and asked, "
Putting a circuit board back into place, Steekman replied, "Well, it looks like the entire destination database has been deleted off of this BunnyMover. That code evidently activated a computer virus of sorts that forced the 'mover into a diagnostic mode and keeps it there. It's cruising some sort of pre-planned path, and is going to end up somewhere in Illinois."
Callie (GiggleFluffed)."We're going to go visit TreeHugger, that nice Squirrely!"
Steekman looked at Callie a moment. "Hun.. do you know anything about this TreeHugger? Some of the squirrels work for the bad bunnies."
Callie (ScrunchWiggleNose), and replied, "Not TreeHugger! (BounceBounce) He offered me a home, an' said he'd protect me from the bad bunnies!"
Steekman sighed quietly. Not that they now had any choice, but he'd rather not have been heading into an unknown situation. Covertly, he checked his firearm, which was still safely where he'd hidden it. At least he could try and make a passable attempt at defending them, should it become necessary.
Callie added more quietly, "And...and we had to get away from that Tealpaw..." (shudderpoof)
Steekman raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think that, hun?"
Callie visibly shook. "You were right that..that the medbuns were good buns, Stekman, but...but that Tealpaw...she...she wan't a good bun."
Steekman sighed. "Didn't we talk about this already?"
"I know...I know....but...but there was something about her that scared me inside. Something that said I couldn't trust her." Callie scrunched her mzzle in concentration for a moment. "It was the way she looked at me when we first met. She didn't look at me..." (shudderfluff) "she looked through me...like...like a hawk would look at a normal bunny or a fish...like I was prey." She paused and then whispered, "Just like the bad buns had done."
Steekman was taken aback. Callie continued to speak.
"I'm sorry Stekman, but I lied back there on the couch."
"You what?" Smudge stammered.
"I didn't really go to sleep. I couldn't take the chance....I don't want the bad buns to get Mommy and Daddy." (tearyeyes) "So I made that stuff-up remembering some of the things I had learned in school about other places...just in case Tealpaw was a bad bun. I don't remember were I'm really from," (tearyeyes) "But at least then the bad buns don't know either." (poof) Callie appeared to be a lot smaller and more scared as she backed herself into her seat, pushing as far back as she could.
Steekman thought back to how old the MedBun had said she was, and decided that Callie was a whole lot more mature than she had let on.
However, while the admittance to lying did give Steekman a higher awareness of just what Callie was capable of, it didn't change what his mission was. True, they were no longer going to Canada, but that wasn't Callie's home. But her home was somewhere, and Steekman would find it. And with that, the bunnies that did this to her, and Callie's parents.
"It's okay, Callie. I can understand how you might think that about Tealpaw," Steek said. "She is a bit... enthusiastic about her work. But we are trying to help you, gal. And we've gotta know the truth, ok?"
Callie nodded, and the Bunmover continued on through the dark tunnels.
The BunnyMover continued it's twisting course for another three days, before finally pulling to a stop. Fortunately, the command Callie had entered had selected an arrival time when the terminal would be empty, for the most part.
As soon as the 'mover doors had opened, Steekman whispered, "Callie.. let Smudge take a look outside. He's a bunny, so if there are any bad bunnies out there, they won't notice him."
"(Fluffle) Okay, Stekman.. but TreeHugger is a nice squirrely! (QuietStomp)."
"I know, hun.. but there could be bad bunnies making him do things he doesn't want to."
Smudge
Callie (squealwithdelight) "That's TreeHugger!"
"
Unfortunately, both the bun and the squirrel had heard Callie, and both came over to investigate.
Treerunner saw the BunnyMover pull into the station. It's exterior lights were extinguished, and the interior was lit with an amber glow, signalling that the 'mover had stopped for maintenance. That had to be Callie's ride, right on time. (WorriedFlick) He was still more than a little concerned, having brought Callie into a dangerous area.. but then, it hadn't been dangerous when he'd set the code and even when he told it to her! (FlickFLICK).
Then he saw the other 'mover coming into sight. That was fine, as his probing of the 'mover system indicated that that one was empty. He was more than a little surprised when he saw a bunny get off. (AGITATEDFLICK) Treerunner checked his web-gear harness and found his sidearm. He unsnapped the retaining flap, and took a few steps towards the bunny. He'd hoped not to have to do something like this, but first and foremost, he had to ensure Callie's safety.
The bunny looked over, and (GreetingsFluffle)d. "Hi, Treerunner! I'm back, after that little fiasco at the airport in Maine.."
Treerunner did one of the most classical doubletakes of all time. He looked very carefully at the bun before him. Leather jacket. Earring in the left ear. Sunglasses. Dark blue fluff, with a bright white spot in the middle, and the head-fluff spiked in all directions. To say he was speechless was an understatement. There was only one bunny that he knew of with blue fur.
Brightspot removed his shades. "Treerunner.. it's me, Brightspot! Yeah, yeah.. I know. My outfit is a little strange. Remind me to tell you about PunkBunny and DenverWarren sometime."
Then they both heard a young bunny kit squeal "TreeHugger!" Brightspot arched an eyebrow, and looked at Treerunner, who said simply, "I'll explain that later also. We've got to get you and Callie out of here... it's not safe! (FLICK)"
Both Brightspot and Treerunner went over to the 'Mover car that they'd heard the voice from.
"Mentat.. let me take care of this, (PleaseFlick)."
Brightspot nodded. "On one condition. You call me Brightspot outside of the warren, and preferably inside the warren too."
Treerunner nodded, and started whispering, "Callie.. Callie, it's me, Treerunner!"
Treerunner looked at Brightspot. "She's probably afraid because she was just expecting me here alone.."
Brightspot took the hint and walked off half a car-length.
"Callie, it's me.. Treerunner! I offered you a home, and promised to keep you safe, remember? I gave you the code to get the BunMover here."
"(ScaredRuffle) St..Stekman.. that's not TreeHugger!" Callie wailed softly. "I don't know who that is!"
"Okay, Callie.. I want you to go hide in the back of the mover, all right? Don't come out until you hear me call for you."
"Okay, Stekman.." Callie whispered, as she snuck to the back end of the 'Mover and hid in a cabinet.
Steekman nodded at Smudge. Smudge stood, his back to one side of the door while Steekman was on the other, sidearm strapped to his side. He prepared himself for what was to come.. his first priority was to protect Callie and get her to safety. This squirrel wasn't who Callie thought he was, and that posed a problem. One that he had to take care of.
A moment later, Treerunner cautiously climbed up to the door to the BunMover and poked his head inside. The very second that happened, Steekman snagged Treerunner by the scruff of the neck, and pulled him inside the BunMover.
Brightspot saw this, and darted underneath the 'Mover, and crawled under it to get at the other side. He didn't know what was happening, but he took a rather dim view of anyone harming one of his friends, especially now when he was responsible for them. Slowly, he crept to the other side, and found a maintenance port that had popped open once the 'Mover had stopped. He climbed inside, and crawled into the workings.
Steekman quickly stripped all useful equipment off of the squirrel's web gear. "Say there, Mr. Squirrel. The little lady doesn't seem to recognize you, and I'd like to know just who you are."
"I'm.. I'm Treerunner, Chief of Security at my Warren. I offered Callie a home, because I was worried about her."
Smudge hopped over. "And which Warren might that be?"
When Treerunner saw that Smudge, he "freaked" out. His tail acquired a life of it's own, and began (FLICK)ing about with no conscious control. Treerunner also began screaming, "No! You'll never take me back! NEVER!"
This, of course, confused Steekman and Smudge long enough for Brightspot to quietly open the interior maintenance hatch and creep inside the Mover unnoticed. He quietly slid the hatch shut, and stood behind Steekman, though at a respectable distance.
"EXCUSE me!" Brightspot said, loudly enough for himself to be heard over Treerunner's shrieks. "I'll thank you to put him down, and NOW!"
Steekman whirled around, Treerunner still held in his hand. Without a thought, his firearm was out, already perfectly aimed at the voice. He saw a huge deep blue rabbit, in full Punk regalia, staring at him, (PawTap)ping. Again, without thought, he raised the weapon to the air once seeing that he was aiming at a rabbit. His first reaction was to do exactly what the bun said, which wasn't necessarily the best choice. But the other bun was between him and Callie, and he didn't feel like chancing the bun figuring out where Callie was. Slowly, he bent down, and put the squirrel on the ground, never once taking his eyes off of the bun.
"Now then, (NarrowEyes) precisely what is going on around here?" Brightspot said, lowering his voice to a growl. "Treerunner. Explain."
Treerunner took a moment to collect his thoughts. Tail still (Flick)ing nervously, he stammered, "Brightspot... I was trying to help Callie, a forced conversion on the run from the bad bunnies. I wanted to bring her to our Warren where she'd be safe. She's only a kit, and all she wants is to find her human parents!"
Steekman looked at Treerunner and said, "Callie is looking for Treehugger, and she's under the impression you are not him. And I know she wasn't expecting a Brightspot," Steekman said, looking back at the large rabbit.
Before Brightspot could retort, Treerunner piped up. "But I AM the one who was trying to help Callie! She's a kit, and got my name screwed up! TreeHugger was my father's name! Check the Frith-Blasted computer!"
Steekman did, and saw that Treerunner was telling the truth. He'd been the one to tell Callie how to tightbeam, and had given Callie the code to control the BunMover. He checked out, but the other bun.. something about him set Steekman on edge.
"Look.. (FL ICK) can we please head over to the Warren? It's not safe to stay here any longer!"
Smudge and Steekman looked at each other. Treerunner knew the area better than they. If he said there was trouble, there probably was. And it was certain that neither of the BunMovers were going anywhere, so going with the squirrel seemed like a decent enough idea.
"Your call, Smudge," Steekman said, with a glance at the still trembling Treerunner.
"It does make sense, Steek. He's obviously the squirrel she's looking for," Smudge said. He hopped towards the back of the BunMover and called out, "Callie, it is safe, dear. This is the squirrel we want, and his friend is... he is a friend too," Smudge said, with a sidelong glance at the leather-clad blue bun.
Callie slowly came out of the cabinet. Treerunner was right there, crouched down on all fours, trying to look as non-threatening as possible. She slowly crept forward and (BunniHugged) Treerunner. "I'm sorry, Treerunner.. I didn't mean to mix up your name.. (sniffle)"
"It's okay, sweetling.. but we really need to get going."
Treerunner led them out of the BunMover terminal, and out into the woods surrounding McHenry
Treerunner led them on a reasonably straight path, detouring past terrain that would be a dead giveaway that they'd passed through there. Soon enough, they reached the first roving patrols. Treerunner identified himself, and the group was allowed to proceed. The outer patrols radioed back about the group's location, and they were shadowed by several more patrols until they came right up to one of the secondary entrances.
Round about that time, all hell broke loose. One of the guards by the door answered a call from an outer patrol. The bun (BRISTLEPOOFANGRYSTOMP)ed, and yelled, "Incoming! Outer patrol four has been pinned down by enemy fire!"
Treerunner sprang into action. He ripped the radio from the bun's paws, and started bellowing orders into it. "Scramble all defenders! Every last one of them, Frith-Blast it! You! You four! Take this group down to the kit nursery! It's the best defended part of the Warren!"
"Like FRITH you will!" Brightspot bellowed. "I may not have asked for the job of running this place, but I do NOT plan on hiding!"
Treerunner hadn't the time to argue with Brightspot, so he waved the guards to get everyone else down to the kit nursery. Brightspot and Treerunner joined with a unit of the inner defense. Brightspot donned his shades again, and smiled grimly.
"Hell of a welcoming party you throw me, Treerunner."
To Be Continued in: One Warren, One Fight.