It was darker, darker than the blackest of midnights, than the forest and its thick canopy of trees, than the darkness in his heart...Kami shuddered, staring into the open tunnel mouth with growing dread. He had been forced to mature quickly, first because of his parents' rejection, then his capture, but he could never stand the dark, the utter void that threatened to swallow him up at any moment...

"KEEP MOVING." The robot's arm raised threateningly, whip crackling with electricity and Kami sped up quickly, black boots crunching softly on the stony ground. They seemed to enjoy working him as hard as possible, perhaps to see how long his six year old body would hold up against the labour, perhaps to make him forget his fear in his exaustion and let them move him into the deeper mines. Either way, he hated them, hated them with a passion that was slightly stronger than his dislike for the rest of the world. If he wasn't so scared of his Gift, of the fire that burned within him and threatened to engulf his soul, he would've given those miserable machines a blast long ago...

He sighed, shaking his head sadly. Short red quills tipped with black moved with the motion, framing his small face in a firey halo. No, he couldn't do anything yet, not now. But someday...Someday they'd pay! A small smile curled on his lips, filled with a malice that had never been seen on such a young child's face, and he picked up the pick with new resolve. One hit closer to payment, two hits...

OOC: Here I am! ^^ And profile...

Name: Kamiko, Dante

Slave Number: [18450346] (8 digits)

Species: Hedgehog

Labour Experience: Surface Mining

Draw back, swing. Crack. Draw back, swing. Crack. Repeat about a billion times. This simple rhythym had become his life, smacking a pickaxe into a stone wall in almost total to complete darkness every single day, getting short breaks to eat and sleep, punctuated by the sting of whips. It was a miserable, cold, lonely existance that he did not welcome. Were it not for one thing, he would have lain down and died long ago.

He smashed the pick into the stone again forcefully with a growl, imagining that the chuck of rock he had torn away from the wall was an overlander head. He imagined blood squirting from the severed stump of a neck. He imagined screams of torment, him turning those electrowhips against his cruel masters.

Anger could give you strength. Hate could keep you alive. It had with him, supporting him through long daynights of work in the mines, pitch black and freezing cold and his raw hands and arms and body ached. When he felt like laying down and letting the robots whip him to death, hate whispered in his ear, telling him to bide his time, that the chance for vengeance would present itself. So he stayed strong and kept hitting that wall. That desire was all he had left. His family was slain, his order destroyed, his kingdom obliterated. He had no illusions that somehow things could be restored to how they once were. His world was over. He just wanted to bring the bastards down with him.

He stared through the stone wall with his brown eyes, looking towards that future. He took a brief moment to wipe sweat and rock dust from his grey fur, and as expected, an overlander whipped him for it. He barely reacted, not uttering a sound, not giving them the satisfaction. He just calmly got back to work, bottling the anger up inside, feeding off the pain. His chance for revenge would be soon, he could feel it...

------------------------------------------------------------

Name: O'Canis, James

Slave Number: [10322651]

Species: Wolf

Labour Experience: Underground mining, deep underground mining, construction

OOC: Ah, so it's slightly different. I can work with that, though. Reni and Surge are both slaves this time.

RENI: Why can't I be a hero?

--Because, now hush.

Anyway...

Name: (formerly Princess) Serenity Alicia Acorn Hedgehog

Slave Number: [0000P1p245]

Species: Hedgehog (duh)

Labour Experience: Cart Hog - Pulling cartloads of minerals (often overloaded) from the mines to storage, etc.

Name: Sergei "Surge" Breaker

Slave Number: [002039X901]

Species: Hedgehog

Labour Experience: Shallow underground mining, weekly power generation (He's taken to a power plant and harshly drained of some of his electrical powers, which are then used to power the robots and electronic devices)

She winced as the pain lanced across her back for the thousandth time and strained against the overloaded weight of the cart. "Unnnnggghh...!" The whip stung her back again.

"Faster, Slave!" The overlander driver thundered at her.

She seethed at the comment. There were times she would have blown up at the driver for the dig to her pride, but not now. The drivers and guards had gotten progressively larger, burlier, and meaner each time she snapped. The one that was currently driving her had been reported to have done...unpleasant...things to previous cart girls, and she wanted none of THAT. Thus, despite her rebelious nature, Serenity kept plodding along, straining at the harness connecting her to the overladen cart.

Sergei "Surge" Breaker could barely lift his pickaxe. He had just been returned to the rock he was stationed at after a Draining, as he called them. The overlanders and robots liked to refer to it as his weekly "contribution," but he found his own term far more appropriate. They would take him away on the same day every week and wire him up to a hideous machine that, when activated, sucked him dry of any electrical power he had accumulated in his system that week. Pain would coarse through him as all his powers were drained from him in order to power the various buildings of this hideous establishment, leaving him aching and exhausted.

Then, to add insult to incapacitation, he was shoved back to his position on the rock and forced to work the same amount of time he worked durring all the rest of the week, PLUS the equivalent of the time it had taken to drain his energy.

He could barely keep his eyes open as he swung the axe at the rock. The impact made him drop his pickaxe and fall to the ground. He moaned slightly as the whip cut into his back, further stealing any electrical energy he had left from the Draining.

Surge wasn't sure how much longer her could take this abuse. One of these days, he was sure he'd wake up to find himself dying and on the way to the slaughterhouse...

TBC

"Are security ready?"

"Standing by sir."

In the deepest mine shaft in the mine, the guards prepared for another days work. Work in shaft 205 was dangerous...moreso than most of the other shafts. It penetrated a layer of igneous rock deep below the surface, and pockets of poisonous gas were common, as were rock falls. Because of this, the guards had made special investment in the workers here, not for any care on their part mind you, but simply to conserve the worker force so they wouldn't run out of slaves.

The guard bots took up station at the lift to the surface, and the Overlander in the oxygen mask gave the order.

"Release Demo."

Over in the corner of the entry tunnel to shaft 205 was a massive cell, constructed of 5 inch thick Admantium, with a powerful magnetic lock on the massive door.

The work in shaft 205 took the toughest...but the toughest was sometimes dangerous.

One of the robots opperated the lock, and slowly the massive door swung open. "Demo" stepped out.

He was a Praying Mantis, unusualy big for a Mobian, standing at almost seven feet! He was built like a tank, with powerful, strong arms and a tough exo-skelleton. Small investments had been made to allow him to deal with the tough atmosphere of shaft 205: His already tough exo-skelleton had been grafted with metal patches to protect against rockfalls, his powerful claws had been overlayed with metal to assist in digging, his throat had been firred with a robotic filter to protect from the poisonous gas.

The main investment, though, was not physical.

"You will proceed from where you left off yesterday." barked the Overlander. "You will not cease, understood?" Demo simply nodded silently. He had undergone a conditioning program to make him obedient to the Overlander's every order...he had lost all emotion, all free will.

Slowly he turned and moved off into the tunnel, moving stiffly, almost roboticly. He reached the rock he had been working on before, and, raising his metal tipped claws, began to smash away at it rhythmicly...mindlessly...

Name: Tobias Shane (called "Demo" by the Overlanders)

Slave Number: -----205 (special designation for shaft 205)

Spicies: Mantis

Labour Experience: Natural strength immeadeately put him in the main shaft. Short temper got him in trouble, and he was put on the deeper tunnels, until someone suggested he be used for the shaft 205 program.

(OOC: A bit out on a limb here, so if anything needs changing let me know.)

--Somewhere, Decending though the maze like mines--

For many years I have been here.
Unseen, but all-seeing I have floated within the lives of the many and the few.
I have born witness to the suffering.
I have felt the crack of the whip, the sting of its acidic touch on bare flesh.
I have seen death, plague, starvation and wept for the pain.
Pain I have caused.

Soon it will be time.

A light breeze seemed to pick up though the tunnel, though swift seemed to be the only one who felt it. Had the hedgehog been able to see what others could not, the ghostly figure of a young fox kit would have graced his eyes. Watching him from the shadows, the kit hung suspended as though floating in the air, body thin and warn away by time and suffering, its form moving as though it were made from smoke or water. The settled on a nearby bolder filled cart, watching proceedings.

At the setting of the sun, it will be time.

OOC: Right! SEcond time lucky! Should I add my profile Mike ? Or would it be giving too much away?

ooc: Will be in this one no ideas yet though

"I'll teach that kid to..." The other guard stopped his whip arm quickly, "Hold off, its Zero One." The guard looked somewhat hesitant but lowered his arm and didn't pursue the small hedgehog. They both watched warily as a very tired looking fox walk past. Much larger than the mobians he looked foriegn yet still in the same situation as them.

The less experienced guard snorted, "Why would you tip toe around that half dead alien?" The first guard waited till the fox was out of earshot, "Thats prison 00000001, you rookies must not know about IT yet. Happened just after the knothole incident, he was the first." The other guard snorted, "I ain't no rookie, and that mutt can't be that old." The more experienced guard looked irritated but kept his voice low, "He is, some weird alien technology or something, some of the older mobians mumble about magic or some nonsense. Reguardless, he's A1 Class, higher than that bug they got working in the shafts. Three rules about him. One, steer clear of him. Two, if you're on him JUST beat him, watch your whip and aim it, don't hit the other slaves unless you have to." The guard narrowed his eyes and started walking away, the opposite direction the fox have lumbered. The remained guard jogged back up his comrade, "What about the third?" The guard gritted his teeth, "Don't hit the runts in front of him, we lost a few guards last time."

"And the boss let him live? Why isn't he dead?" The guard snorted quietly, "Keep your voice down, don't let the prisoners hear you. They tryed. But you can't kill that one, more alien technology I suspect. Orders from the boss himself are to keep his morale at rock bottom so we don't have another incident." The less experienced guard blinked, "Ok... any rules on Zero T..." *SLAP* the other guard literally muffled him hissing, "Don't say that word. Never. As far as these animals are concerned that monstousity died long ago. Don't even whisper it around Zero One. Didn't they tell you anything?"

The other guard grunted and shoved the gloved hand away, "Why should we be scared of slaves? What can they do to us? Whats with these weird rules about Zero One and Zero... er you know."

"It's not so much what they'd do, with enough guards you can take any mongrel down, even those two. But seeing two of the first fighting again could cause trouble with the rest of the slaves. So just follow the rules, got it?" The other guard sighed and walk off.

Name: Underwood, Richard

Slave Number: [00000001]

Species: Canidae Xenomorph

Labour Experience: Light Surface Mining

Name: Unknown

Slave Number: [00000002]

Species: Leporidae Xenomorph

Labour Experience: Contained for Observation

James' ears rotated behind him, picking up the conversation from the guards behind him. One of them sounded downright nervous as they discussed a legend of the slave mines: prisoner number one. The first one ever put down into the mines, and supposedly one of those most dangerous. The wolf had heard all kinds of rumors and tall-tales about the mythical 00000001, and the tired fox that walked past didn't seem to fit any of them. But despite the tall fox's worn out appearance, the guards feared him for some reason, and that was enough to interest James.

If it scared the guards, it was his buisness. He needed to talk with the old fox, needed to figure out what made him so dangerous, and if possible, unleash it. It could be the chance that the wolf had been waiting for. The guards could stop one out-of-control prisoner. They could stop ten or even a hundred. But if one person could inspire thousands to revolt... He smirked at the thought. Oh, there would be death and suffering. Many more prisoners would die than guards and robots; they had the better weapons. But anything would be better than slowly rotting in the mines.

James noted the tidbit about a prisoner 00000002. The guards wanted everyone to think he or she dead. But appearantly it was a lie...and James had a hunch that One would be interested in hearing about it. Now how to get closer to the old fox...

Swift's ears twitched as a little bit away two guards had conversed about something. What the hedgehog could despiher was that a slave - deemed number one. The hedgehog, too had heard rumours and myths of the acclaimed "first offical slave", of coruse there had been slaves before him but they had not been documated, and the eradication of them had occured sometime when Swift was born. The hedgehog lightly sighed as he picked at the rock as he pondered to himself. His ears then caught something else, but he couldn't really understand it. He was a bit too far away. He kept picking until he felt a quick, hard pain thrash at the back of his head.

TWAP!

Swift gritted his teeth as he dropped the pic in result, and went to his knees because of the sheer force of the blow.
"Hey! Spines-o-dumbass, your'e shift is done for mining: its time for you to help the other stupid spine with transporting the mining ore from the miners to the ore dump in the middle of this site. Got me?!"

Swift groaned, and only nodded. In his head however, was a different story. "Geeze! Moron, did you have to hit me for no reason?!" he bared his teeth lightly and moved over to the transport cart which wasn't too far away. He saw a lone purple hedgehog pulling the cart, and he sneered in thought about it. He then quickily got closer to the cart and grabbed the carts handle and started helping the purple hedgehog. "You alright over here?" he asked in low mutter.

-
At Swift's former post...
-

A musky dark green grasshopper sneered as he picked up the pic that had been left in the ground by Swift who was ordered to switch posistions, and this grasshopper was forced from collecting ore from piles and dumping them in transporting carts to menial labour of mining. He moaned lightly, in low mutter and began to work. He sighed lightly after that and began to pull back and continue that dreaded rythym.

Sometimes he wondered what life be like if the battle of Knothole did not occur or if the discovery of uranium and plotunium did not happen. But "what if" questions could not be bothered to be asked in this dreaded time of life.

He stopped to take a breath as a guard turned her back.

He sighed mentally in relief too, and as she turned back he continued mining as if he never stopped.

"Meh....life is so repetive." he snorts.

"Zero One." The gruff voice of the guard called out flatly behind him. The fox stopped in front of what looked like a caved in mine. Rocks covering the entrance. His ragged overgarment that may have resembled a trenchcoat at one time seemed to flutter around him as he slowly but methodically turned halfway. The guard saw one green eye looking at the pile of debris, not directly at the guard. This guard had become used to dealing with Zero One, eyes looking to the side meant something of interest behind the fox, Zero One didn't need to turn fully around to detect what he was doing.

"His lordship has granted you this pile of rocks to practice on today." The guard said cautiously. The fox nodded still staring at the rock pile. The guard turned away shaking his head. "Stop." The word sounded as though its owner hadn't spoken for awhile. But as broken as it was the voice still seemed more a command than a request. The guard stopped and gritted his teeth. Whether it because that tone from a slave was unacceptable or because he was afraid of the rest of the sentence, one couldn't be sure.

"Any word from my love?" The fox said plainly, still focused on the pile of rocks. The guard looked back, "The search parties are still coming up empty. Maybe tomorrow." The fox nodded and turn back to face fully away from the guard, who in turn distanced himself to watch from afar.

*sshup-crack*

The guard flinched some watch a rock that had to be at least three hundred pounds in weight crack under the stress of a punch from the alien. The fox didn't show a glint of pain, there was no blood or scraping on his fist, it was like his skin had never touched the rock's surface.

I need to request transfer. This is starting creep me out the way he does that. Combined with those dottering old animals telling stories about mysticism and magic I just need to get off zero one detail. The guard though watch two more hits splinter the rock into pieces.

It was easy to leave Zero One unattendaded, he alienated other prisoners and had no inclinations to escape. That was the only easy part of Zero One detail. Taking advandage of that the guard wandering into the watchtower to take a bathroom break.

I hate this....I hate this......ugh, I HATE this.......

Grinding her teeth together, the young, tan-furred vixen raised her pick ax and struck the rock before her with venom and frustration. Throwing herself into the work, she kept repeating those same words inside her head over and over again, ignoring her aching limbs and the drowsiness that threatened to overcome her. Lurking a fair distance from herself and a few other slaves was one of the Overlander guards; she could feel his gaze burning into her already scarred back. In the pit of her stomach, she felt the smoldering hatred that many more like her shared...hatred for those who held all the power and weapons and such.

"Don't make me come over there, you little whelp!" The guard called out, jarring Kym back into action.

"Yes sir..." She muttered, sighing. Every part of her burned and ached from her ears to her tail tip to her toes.

Oh how she longed to yank that whip out of that man's hands and give him a good smack or two. Or three. Or maybe...yes, fourteen sounded just right. She smirked mentally; yes, fourteen, for the 14 years of her life down the drain. Kym amused herself with thoughts of hurling her pick at the guard, or using it to give him a few nasty gashes and letting them bleed so much he begged for mercy. Give him back the pain she had endured when she found out her mother and father had been slain and her brother and sister sent away....

Her tail lashed back and forth as she began hammering the rock with the same burning fury that had kept her alive for years. But right now, this rock was no rock. Kym was imagining herself hacking away at the guards, paying them back......

Did I mention the fact that I really DESPISE this?

----
OOC: Nice. Think I'll join.

Name: Saber, Kym

Slave Number: [02375499]

Species: Fox

Labour Experience: Surface Mining, construction

Demo was still hammering away at the rocks in tunnel 205 rhythmically. His armoured claws slashed away at the wall tirelessly, biting into the rock and wrenching huge chunks away with apparent ease.

His face was blank...his mind was blank. Thanks to his conditioning, he no longer thought for himself.

Suddenly there was a loud hissing noise and the tunnel filled with a thick yellow gas. One of the guard robots stood behind him stepped forward.

"Sir, we have a sulphur ammonia pocket, very concentrated. Even Demo's breathing equipment may not be enough for complete filteration."

At the head of the tunnel near the cell, the Overlander frowned. "Dang, that's all we need. Control will be on our backs if we don't pull a full quota for this shaft today."

"I think they'll be "on our backs" much heavier if we are forced to modify another worker sir." replied the robot. "Not only would it cost, we'd be hard put to find one so tough."

The Overlander sighed. "True. Okay, tell him to pull back until the filteration systems have dissapated the gas."

"Yes sir." The robot stepped forward. "Unit 205."

Demo stopped digging and his head swiveled round to face the robot, his compound eyes fixing blankly on him.

"Cease digging and proceed to the tunnel head immeadeately. You will be given further instructions there."

Demo slowly turned and set off up the tunnel, the guard following him closely, leaving the poisonous yellow gas behind.

James watched from the shadows as the the one guard walked away, leaving Zero One alone. It was so bizzare, the overlanders not leaving a single person to watch over the prisoner. Not that it would make much difference. He could see why they feared the old fox so much; he was breaking bolders with his bare hands and didn't show any signs of pain or fatique. He just kept smashing away at rocks like a machine, as if he didn't get to do enough in the mines. It was surreal; James could not explain how the fox was doing it.

It was no problem to escape from the guards when his shift was over; he slipped into the shadows away from the group down an abandoned mineshaft when they weren't looking. He could navigate the mines blindfolded and pretty much did to get back to the spot where he first saw Zero One, moving through parts of the mine that were no longer used. From there, he followed the tracks and signs of his passage to this point. James' training had served him well.

He didn't have much time. The guard would come back from his break soon, and the wolf might be missed if he stayed too long. He didn't want to be caught away from his designated group; the punishments for such a thing were severe.

The wolf stepped out of his hiding spot and approached the fox, not bothering to try to be sneaky. Somehow, he knew it would be a futile gesture.

"Nice trick you have there.", he said.

The fox stopped, but didn't turn to look directly at his accoster. "There is no trick to Hexam Kapaye. Simply force of will."

James was familiar to many different fighting styles, and Hexam Kapaye was not one of them.

"You must have quite the will, then.", he said, crossing his arms over his chest, "Strange that you aren't focusing that will on the guards."

The human stood arms crossed with the electronic whip on his side. It wasn't his choice. This was punishment for being a so called traitor to the overlander race. He was so lucky. The rest of pheonix crew aka Ghosts were captured tortured and killed. His punishment was to inflict pain and suffering on those he fought so hard to free and protect. They made sure he was doing his job if the whip hadnt been drained to 85 percent they would use it on him til it was dead. Josh aka spyder looked around.

"This has to stop", He thought to himself.

Name: Breech

Slave Number: [01365911]

Species: Cat

Labour Experience: Cart Hog, Construction

~~~
BiC:

*crack*

Stifle the scream. Pull. Hate.

*crack*

Stifle it again. Pull harder. Hate some more. Until it smothers your despair, your pain, your anger. Until it smothers you entirely and it's all that keeps you going.

Breech shuddered, wishing she could bring herself to give up. Why did she keep going? She wanted to. She could let herself die, but that was what losers did.

The feline was pale and half-wasted. Her black fur was greasy, and matted with blood and stale sweat. Her clothes were little more than rags which barely covered her, and certainly didn't keep her warm enough in the cold months. Cuts and slashes were clear to see over her body.

Sometimes the thought occoured to her, You are nothing.

But it was wrong. She was special, and she knew it. Nobody hated quite as much as she could. They thought they hated the Overlanders, and they did... but not to the extent that the most sociopathic nutjob could hate. One day... one day she'd kill them all, and it was that one thought that kept her alive. One day...

She let the insane images run through her mind and smiled. It tuned her out as she kept pulling the overloaded cart.

"Strange that you don't focus that will on the guards."

Breech half-turned towards the sound. The whip dug into her back again. She just about stopped the scream.

"Gurk..." was the best interpretation of the sound she made.

You're crazy and it's not long before you snap. You'll snap soon, and you can't wait. The thought made her feel slightly better as she pulled again. When she snapped, they'd kill her, and then it would doubtless be over. She probably wouldn't even feel it.

As for the others, she was pretty sure there was a guard on its way to break them up.

She couldn't remember a lot of things now. Like her real name, or when she'd come here. She'd served Robotnik... but the memories were so vauge... there was something important she ought to remember about that.

It began to rain.

In the dark, the kit hung, watching with morbid anticipation as he once again ran over his plan to himself as somewhere, far above, he could feel the sun beging to set. It wouldn't be long now.
Then, he heard it. The rhythmic crunching of rock under heavy foot, the scraping of metal whenever the claws scratched against a wall or bolder. The kit rose and proceeded down the shaft, smiling as his target came into view. This had to be fate, why elce would the creature be braught from its quaters.

Such a magnificent creature, such raw power and hatred behind those weary eyes of broken spirit.

The apparition floated around the Mantis, examining its every feature, marveling at its some what grotesque appearance. Moving infront of the creature, his smile growing malicious, the child leaned in close to the Mantis, knowing that the thing couldnt hear him, but fully knowing the importance of his words.

The old ones will was too strong, he resisted me, refused to turn on the guards dispite my plees, but Im hoping that the horrors that lurk within your mind will have weekend it to influence, making your chains easyer to brake.

The child stroked Demos chin, an ice cold feeling shuddering along the length of the Mantiss jaw, though if he felt it, he didn't react.

Dont weep soon, Ill free you from those chains in your mind. And unleash your fury. Ironic, isnt it? That you over all creatures will begin the war.

Unaware that he was being watched, Demo wondered up to the end of the tunnel and stopped, staring blankly at the wall, awaiting new orders. The robot following him joined his counterpart stood by the lift. "Do we put him back in his cell sir?"

The Overlander in charge had been reviewing some information on a nearby computer terminal built into the wall, the terminal that controlled Demo's cell. He glanced round absently. "Nah, the gas may dissapate quickly. Just watch him."

"Are you sure that's wise sir? What if he has an individual moment?"

"Individual moments" as the guards called them, were moments where, for the briefest second, Demo's mind began to break through the conditioning. It was never far enough to recover from the work they had done to him, but it often caused confusion and emotional instabillity, resulting in a wild, uncontrollable rage. Many guard robots and a few Overlanders had fallen victim to this rage, and the only way of combatting it was to activate a special electrode implanted in Demo's brain that interrupted all nervous system activity. Thanks to his armour plating and strength, any other attack was futile.

This rarely happened though...usualy Demo was as quiet as the rocks he excavated. The Overlander made a face. "He ain't gonna. Hardly ever does. He'll be fine for an hour or so." He turned back to the computer, making small adjustments to the system.

The robot guards glanced at each other warily. "Very well sir." they replied quietly, as though uncertain about the situation.

"I don't believe in futile efforts. If I attacked the guards they would simply subdue me, I would have less freedom. It would be more troublesome if I couldn't have my way." The fox grumbled, giving a larger rock a few jabs to soften it.

"I would rather die than serve those who murdered my friends and loved ones", James said darkly, "And I would rather die on my feet, fighting, than on my knees, rotting in some gods-forsaken hole. I know these humans don't fear you merely for your power. I know they aren't lying to you and manipulating you simply because you have the capacity to unleash hell. You must have given them a reason to be afraid. ...Have they broken you, as they have so many?"

The fox gave a frustrated sign, "Man you're troublesome to talk to. Only you can break yourself, idiot. Unless you want more trouble you'd best go back to work."

James bristled at being called an idiot after he took the risk of sneaking off to talk to the guy. He was expecting something more impressive out the legendary Zero One, but it looked like the guy was just some deluded jerk, content to stay down in the mines practicing his l33t kung-fu. Snorting in disgust, James turned to leave.

As he began to walk off, the wolf stopped, remembering something he had intended to say.

"I overheard the guards saying something, and it sounded like they didn't want you to know. I don't understand the importance of it to you, but they said that a prisoner Zero Two is still alive."

The fox stopped again, looking down. For almost a full minute his eyes were tightly shut. Then they opened, this time turning to look directly at the wolf. "If you think making up lies is going to make me follow you..." he trailed off. "You don't even know the person you're lieing about, you just want to use me. *pah* How troublesome."

James met the fox' gaze unflinchingly, stiffling a growl.

"I am no liar. I'm just telling you what I heard. Make of it what you will; I just figured you would want to know. You can go back to breaking rocks now."

The wolf turned and started to walk away.

Something between a sigh and a growl escaped her lips as she moved on down the line of slaves, looking for a fresh rock to start hacking away at. Kym felt glad for this chance to stretch jer legs and stand up straight as she walked, even if it was very brief. Her back was aching again, and she was pretty sure she'd re-opened a wound she had gotten about two days ago...but of course, what could she do? Only extremely sick and valuable slaves were carted off to the tiny little recovery room they called an infirmiry.

Kym snorted under her breath. Even in all her years here she had never seen someone carried off to that small little building the size of a cottage. And she doubted she ever would. If slaves were dead, they were dead, and unless they were dying en masse they were no concern to the guards. Few slaves that were injured badly had any chance for survival, and sometimes ended up getting themselves shot because of their uselessness.

"One less pathetic soul around here." One of the guards had sneered at the last shooting. "Good riddance, too." Kym shuddered as she remembered the deafening crack of the gun and the agonized scream of the slave....

..even after all this time, she told herself, you're still afraid. She sighed as she took her place at an empty, unmarked spot and began to repeat those three words that made her day complete. I hate this.

It bugged her, how her days at the slave camp seemed so repetative and monotonous, yet every time she took a pick to a stone her fury and sadness and grief gave her enough energy to shatter a boulder with one blow. It really bugged her. How, Kym asked herself, could something as dull and dreary as her everyday routine still seem different? She didn't know, of course, but in a small part of her mind she knew the answer...

Because...Her mind answered as she raised her pick for another go...Things won't be like this forever. Things are gonna change....and soon.

Kym knew that. She believed it, too. She could just feel it in her bones that someday the sun would shine again. Someday she and all the others would make it out of here and try to rebuild their lives as best they could. Someday...oh, her heart ached as she pictured her older brother and sister working away as slaves somewhere far from here.

So caught up in her thoughts and work was Kym, that she only now realized the thin drizzle of rain that had been pouring down. Her ears drooped and she frowned.

"Great," Kym muttered crossly, "This is just dandy. S'all I need now is a nice rain to ruin my already ruined day...."

Kami sniffed as a raindrop splashed onto his nose, then swung the pick harder as the crack of a whip and the yell of an Overlander sounded behind him. Personally he preferred the robots over these slave drivers, could stand the metallic commands much better than the sneering insults. But most of the surface mining areas were run by Overlanders, and there was no way he would venture into that darkness...

A few slaves' conversation rose up behind Kami, masking him smile bitterly. Unlike some of the others, he felt no bond with his fellow miners, no connection through the pain they had all shared. Mobians had always treated him almost as cruelly as the Overlanders; he wished most of them the same punishment as those who wielded the whips against him. They could all burn, for all he cared...

Breech continued to drag the cart along behind her, her mind currently in another time, another place. A place with flowers and bad things didn't exist. She didn't know if it was real, but it was better than here.

She'd been going there more and more lately.

She stopped pulling the cart for too long a moment. The whip struck her between her shoulderblades, and she didn't even notice.

It wasn't until a robot guard hit her down into the mud that she 'woke up'.

"Get up," he snarled, "Get up or give up."

"Can't see what difference it would make," Breech muttered.

The guard's fist struck her again, "Talking back! Get up!" He lifted the whip.

A flare of red passed over Breech's eyes, but passed quickly. Unfortunately, it was long enough for her to wake up to the guard robot on his knees, having his head slammed into a rock repeatedly. By her.

Three other guards grabbed her and held her down, hitting her repeatedly, and she couldn't even think straight enough to flinch.

When they'd finished, they left her lying in the mud, spitting out blood. She knew she'd been lucky this time - or unlucky, as the case may be - if she'd attacked an Overlander she'd be dead already.

Josh looked at his watch. It was time to go. The whip drained of its energy though it hadnt struck a single person. He just left it on. He looked at the transmitter on his ankle. It wasnt fair. He was able to go to and from hom and work while the mobians were trapped in enslavement. His crimes had been just as bad if not worse. On his way out he noticed a familiar face.

"James?", He asked.

James snuck away from the deserted passage that Zero One was occupying. He was frustrated at his lack of success. Another wasted trip; another futile hope. Maybe he should just have picked up a good sized rock and started fighting already. He'd die pretty fast on his own, but it would be better than the alternative.

Drawn by the commotion in the passage above him, he moved that way, into the open air and the rain. He closed his eyes and lifted his face skyward, letting the rain splatter against him, washing away the dirt in his fur. He liked the feeling. He hadn't seen the surface in a long time.

He saw the source of the racket, what he guessed was a female feline who appearantly had the same idea as him, but was unfortunate enough to only have the crap beat out of her. She was a mess, covered in bruises and mud, spitting out her own blood. If she had any internal bleeding from the beating, she wouldn't last much longer. He walked towards her. It was a risk, walking into the open like that, but he wasn't sure that he cared anymore. He recognized the human guard that had addressed him by his first name.

"Hey, Josh. Getting your quota for the day?", he growled bitterly, walking past him without even looking at him.

The wolf kneeled down next to the cat and reached over, pushing dirty hair out of her face so that he could see her face. He wondered how he looked to her. How had the mines changed the way he looked? He didn't have access to a mirror down there, after all. He carefully wiped mud and blood off her face as best as he could.

"I'm so sick of this...", he mumbled to himself. She could probably hear it, considering their proximity. He spoke a little louder so she wouldn't have to strain herself to listen. "Are you alright? Did they break anything?"

"No, nothing," Breech muttered, not looking up as he wiped some of the dirt away. She winced. That was a lie. She was pretty sure that at least one of her ribs had been cracked. And she hurt a lot everywhere right now. She just wasn't going to let anybody have the satisfaction of knowing it.

"I just... lost it," she said simply, and spat out some more blood. Her lip was bleeding badly, "For a moment."

James looked at the smashed up robot, "That's a pretty big moment."

"Whatever." Breech pushed him away a little, and finally looked up. A wolf. As dirty and battered as she was, maybe more so. Brown eyes, grey fur. Beyond that, nothing, "I shouldn't have, I was trying to store it up... Sometimes I wonder if there's any point..."

She sat up painfully, leaning back against the nearby cliff and trying to hold her rags together as the rain pelted down.

"Stupid punk." The fox muttered smasking another rock as the guard returned to his post. I don't understand the importance of it to you, but they said that a prisoner Zero Two is still alive. "He's got no @#%$ idea what it means to me. How much that hurts." *CRACK CRACK* Two more rocks crumbled leaving a thin wall of loosely packed rocks blocking the mine entrance. "No idea what it means, just using words to try to get what they want. Doesn't matter who they hurt in the process, just like those nefarious creatures that..." The fox suddenly looked angry a let out a loud yell as he tensed his body and send his fist into the rocks so fast the eye only caught a blur of orange, "BASTARD!" The wall seemed to implode into the mine, covering the fox in dust.

Nothing new, it happened from time to time, long as it didn't happen to often. Zero One showing emotion was dangerous, but an occasional outburst didn't seem to raise any alarms. The guard yawned and leaned against the wall.

James knew the feeling. He was sure that most of the prisoners did, too. That feeling of helplessness that made you want to lay down and die. He refused to give into it, refused to let the humans kill him that way. If he died, he wanted it to be by his terms. He sat down next to the feline, wondering when the guards were going to notice them and break them apart.

"We'll get our chance; I know it. We'll make them pay for every single day they held us here and a little extra. We just need to hang in there a little longer. The guards are getting complacent, arrogant, sloppy, and the prisoners are at the breaking point. It's just a matter of time before all hell breaks loose..."

Turning to the feline, he offered her a paw.

"I'm James O'Canis."

"Ouch. that was low.", Josh said to himself. He reached down to scratch at the anklet. House arrest and hard labor for 5 years. He committed the same crimes they had. why was he getting off so easy?

"You know I have no choice in the matter. Im a prisoner just like you", Josh called after him.

He took the whip out and started striking it on the wall on his way out to further drain it.

-a few hours later-

Josh unlocked the door to his house He looked at the cars which all had boots around the wheels to prevent them from going anywhere. He lowered his head and walked inside knowing he only had 5 minutes before they anklet would send an alarm to the authorities. He collapsed on the bed. His friends gone, family gone.

(OOC: Spyder, please tell me in a PM what that post is about. In complete, no one should really move the main plot along without telling me of their ideas somehow. And a quesiton, why must you add a car in every RP you participate in? Why is it nessicary?

And you said a few hours later? I didn't say I wanted the timeframe to speed up at all. Don't control.

And really, death threat? -the guards are generally not mailed, this is kind of 30 years after Sonics own death at age 20. In truth, the communication would be email and video-email I'd think.

And for some off info, when shifts rotate for guards they leave for the main camp where a barracks like building is. Guards really don't have much advantages besides being armed with a electro-whip and stun handgun.)

She took his paw, and shook it, "I'm Breech," she told him.

She clutched her aching head, "Ugh... I feel like... I just want to... I want to know what's real..."

OOC: Age 20, eh? He must have become a Dad pretty young, then, for Reni to exist. Heh. I didn't say she was her normal age though, so...waitaminute...If Reni was born when her fater was, let's say 18...add 30 to that...She would be...uh...32? I guess that could work too though. Say, she was raised by her mother in hiding for a few years before they were both discovered and captured? I hope that's okay...

IC:

Serenity looked up breifly before leaning back into her harnass to avoid her driver's whip. "No...I'm not alright..." Her voice was barely audible, as she slogged up the ramp toward the surface, her feet sinking into the mud and making her work that much harder to move herself. The whip lanced across her back and she winced at the pain.

The rain at the surface was a refreshing change to the dust, heat, and smell of many unwashed working bodies down in the mine, one of which was her own. She lifted her face breifly to the water falling from the sky, grateful to it, not only for the small bit of refreshment it provided her, but also for the fact that is masked her tears. The water washed away the dirt from her body, causing her birthmark to shine through the darkness momontarily, like a becon of hope.

Then she stumbled and went face down into the muck, getting herself, and her birthmark, covered in it. It was as if the very environment wanted to smother all chance of hope as it obscured the rainbow Mark that was suposedly a sign from the Planet itself that there was something special intended for the purple hedgehog.

Serenity sputtered and stood back up, covered in mud, and slogged forward resolutely.

Surge looked up from his wall-picking for a moment, cracking the aching bones in his neck and back back into place. Something cought his eye as he did so. He watched as the emaciated purple hedgehog lurched past, pulling her overloaded cart. There was something familiar about her, but his fatigued state wouldn't let him figure it out. He watched dully as she plodded out into the rain, helped by another hedgehog.

Something clicked in Surge. Strangely, he felt somewhat protective of her, and was uncomfortable with the presence of that other hedgehog around her. But...What could he do about it? It most likely wasn't either of their choices to be placed togeather. He shruged and got back to work, not wanting the shock-whip to drain him of any MORE of his power.

He did find it kind of odd that the guards had decided to have TWO cart beasts pulling one cart. Also, he wondered at his odd feelings of protectiveness for the purple hedgehog as he swung his axe at the rock again.

TBC

(OOC: Just for future notice, the Overlanders don't really make 'anthros' pull supplies like oxes and such. The supply carts are big and heavy but are pulled by two long chains or pushed depending on how it is to be moved.)

Swift winced, he had bad experiences with water before, and frankly he didn't like it. The kind he usually felt up here hurt; every drop. It seemed to be weird it hadn't rained with regular rain in a good seven years. Acid rain had replaced it, so this made the hedgehog ponder. But as he pondered he looked to the other hedgehog as she fell and got back up.

He looked a little bit ahead of where he was pulling the cart and noticed a large train, and each cart on that train was empty; so that simply meant thats where he'd dump the ore in this cart.

"Rain isn't usually like this." he said, the comment completely unrelated to his thoughts.

ooc: edited.

Atop the rickety shack that stored equipment near the tunnel entrance, the entity sat, watching as the slaves filed out from the mine, handing their picks and tools to the next shift already on their way down to work though the night. The rain drops slowed slightly as they passed through its unseen form, creating a distortion that went unnoticed to the humans below. As the two lines of mobians plodded on in oposing directions, the aperition waited patiantly, watching as a feeline was punished and then comforted by the one he would contact second. Then he spotted the one he had been waiting for.

Diving down behind the shack and following the headgehogs progress, the kit watched as Swift move toward the mass of slave's lodgings, the usualy dusty pathways becomeing a mire of mud and colecting puddles in the onslaught of rain.

Soon.... very soon

James nodded and winced in sympathy. After the beating they gave her, it wasn't surprising that her head hurt.

"I know what you mean... Stuck down in those mines, working until you are half-dead, running on little sleep, everything seems surreal. I've wondered more than once if I had lost my mind. They say that war is hell, and it is, but this must be the next level down. Oh, I want another chance to strike at Robotnik..."

Josh tossed and turned in his sleep.

"FALL IN YOU MAGGOTS. WHO ARE YOU WHAT IS YOUR MISSION WHAT IS YOUR CREED?", A Drill instructor screamed.

In unison
"SARGEANT WE ARE THE ELITE SARGEANT. OUR MISSION IS TO PROTECT OUR COUNTRY AND THE ONES WE CARE ABOUT AT ANY COST SARGEANT. OUR CREED IS PLACE THE MISSION FIRST. NEVER ACCEPT DEFEAT. NEVER QUIT. NEVER LEAVE ANYONE BEHIND. SARGEANT."

Josh jerked awake breathing hard. He got up and went to the bathroom. He cupped his hands under the sink and splashed the water onto his face.

"I have to do something", He said to himself.

"Robotnik is dead," Breech said dully.

"What?"

Breech looked up again, "Huh?"

"You just said Robotnik is dead!" James told her.

"Did I?" Breech thought, "Oh yes, I did."

"How do you know?"

"I don't know..." Breech sighed, "I'm probably not the best person to talk to about current events, I don't even remember hardly anything anymore... I'm crazy and it keeps getting worse..."

She clutched her head at the shouting, "No... no, I'm probably wrong... not that you'll get your chance-"

A whip stung her back, and she yelped.

"Back To Work. Construction." The guard robot flicked his whip at James too.

"I hate rain," Breech told him, "Everything is made so much harder, and sometimes the mines flood and people drown and- ow!"

"Back To Work," the guard robot repeated.

In little more than five minutes, Kym's hair was soaked and plastered to her face. She sputtered and spit as the drops of water fell into her eyes and mouth and rolled down her neck. It made her uncomfortable to be damp and wet. Kym's tail flicked in irritation as she swung her pick half-heartedly at the rock.

It's nice an' all to feel refreshed and clean....She thought...But it's another to be soaking and dripping and sputtering.....

Kym sighed. All she wanted was a nice warm cup of cocoa, sitting by a fire with her family, laughing and telling stories. Of course, that would never happen. Not now, anyway.

Soon, though. It'll happen.

Josh awoke to the alarm a few hours later. It was yet again time for another shift. He tucked the black shirt into his pants and fastened the utility belt around his waist and headed back out the door. He ran down the street at a steady pace.

He zoned out....

He saw someone in a tight formation of men fall."COME ON!", two of the others picked him up and forced him back to his feet pushing him forward. sweat was dripping off his brow as he forced himself to runc with the platoon.

Josh shook his head and blinked his eyes trying to get the thoughts out. It seemed anytime he sleeped or wasnt at work these visions would come back to him.

He arrived at the gate and showed his ID card to the gatekeeper.

On the way in he saw a very familiar face.
"Tatiana" he called out "I thought you were dead."

She looked him over then noticed the whip.
"Too you I am. Get away from me."

With that Josh walked away.

(OOC: And now Spyder - it seemed I was unaware you broke the rules of one of my RPs once again. I mean, I was unaware until a unsaid person in a AIM message informed me that "I thought everyone who joined your RP had to be prisoners" - and with that I skimmed the rules and guess what?

And to say the least, I am not suprised you didn't read the rules. You never did in Elite Furs, and in my second New Mobius job.

I'm not suprised.)

James grimaced as the whip smacked against his back. He surpressed the urge to destroy the robot that had hurt him. Not now, not yet. There would be another time. For now, he needed to leave and join back up with the rest of his shift.

"I'll see you later, Breech", he said as he stood up and started for the mineshaft.

As he walked towards the darkness, he thought about what she had said. Was Robotnik really dead, or was she just delusional? If he is dead, how did the feline know about it? He shook his head; they were not questions that really mattered at that point in time. He had the feeling that he and Breech would meet again...

Breech returned to construction, as slowly as she dared. Well, the wolf had been decent - whatever his name was. But she had other, more worrisome thoughts on her mind.

How had she known Robotnik was dead? She was crazy, and she'd warned the wolf guy of it, but in her gut she had the feeling she was right, and that she had a good reason to know why.

"Why was I sent here?" she whispered, picking up a load of bricks. Typical of Overlanders - they had all these robots around and they used Furries to do the work instead.

I did something... most of the people here did nothing wrong... but I did something... What was it?

A darkened room, rather futuristic looking. An aging fox sat across from what looked like Rico. He was less strained looking, less tired, but angrier. The older fox turned around in his chair glaring at the younger one.

The old fox let out a low slow chuckle, "You are truly ready then. Come my son, you will know revenge soon."

*SMACK* He punched another rock by the entrance he'd blown open. Biding his time was starting to make him weak. The second that fat bastard was in sight, he'd kill him.

"Zero One, thats enough for tonight, head in." The guard said supressing a yawn. The fox flicked his head around and flared his eyes at the guard. Who in turn flinched momentarily before getting his nerve back, "Whatever, stay outside if you want." He left the fox to his practicing.