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Investigating Rumors of a Ferret Takeover, the Hamster Commanders Head to the Prison Sector in Search of the Space Station’s Missing Residents

The Adorable Explorers Episode 4

Previously in the Adorable Explorers Series…..

Investigating what appears to be a hostile ferret takeover, Commander Whiskers and Commander Fluffbottom have successfully infiltrated Space Station Acorn Stash. Amid rumors of unlawfully confined residents, the hamster team heads through the service tunnels in search of the station’s prison section. Hopefully, they can find answers without becoming captives themselves. If you would like to read the previous episodes, here they are. Episode 1, Episode 2, and Episode 3. If you save the series, you’ll be notified each time a new episode is published: Adorable Explorers Series

As the commanders made their way down the corridor, it became apparent they were far from alone. The signs of recent habitation were everywhere. In addition to physical evidence, the tunnel was alive with scratching and scurrying sounds. If the hamsters could coax them out of hiding, these shy and resourceful locals would surely be an asset.

Trying to keep their voices low, Whiskers and Fluffbottom identified themselves and announced their good intentions. There wasn’t much response at first, but little by little, timid faces began to appear.

The refugees seemed especially nervous and reluctant to talk. It took a bit more coaxing, but a helpful young squirrel eventually stepped forward. Her name was Hazel Shellerby, and she had worked in the tunnels for years. With the arrival of the ferrets, her workplace had also become her home.

“As you’ve already learned, the ferrets are holding some of the station’s residents in prison cells. Nobody knows why. It seems like they’re collecting only a few examples from each species. Almost like a Noah’s Ark kind of thing, but with seemingly nefarious intentions. There are only about a dozen or so squirrels living on this space station, and so far, we’ve all managed to stay out of the ferrets’ clutches. That’s why we’re so cautious.”

“What about the mice?” Fluffbottom asked. “I see you have a few mice living here as well. Have the ferrets captured any?”

“We only know of one. Nobody down here recognizes them, so we figure they came in on a cargo ship. The ferrets are keeping a tight rein on the traffic. Essential vessels are still coming and going, but the private ships are turned away. Most of the private ships, anyway. Every now and then they let one through. Must be something they want on board.”

“You seem to know a lot about what’s going on at the prison,” said Commander Whiskers. “How have you come by this information without being captured yourselves?”

“We sneak around through the ventilation ducts. Some of us work in the kitchen during normal times, so the cooks have been helping us with food and supplies. That’s where we get most of our news as well. A few of us have made some first-hand observations, though. I’ve personally seen the prisoners, but I was too scared to talk to them. There’s no way to help them, anyway. As you can imagine, the vents are inaccessible for the inmates, and are locked up tight to boot.”

At practically the same time, Whiskers and Fluffbottom asked, “Can you show us how to get to the prison cells through the ventilation system?”

“Absolutely!” Hazel said. “I can even draw you a map!”

Inside one of the storage rooms, the squirrels had constructed a makeshift ramp for easy access to the ventilation ducts. As the commanders climbed inside, Hazel gave them some last-minute advice.

“It’s easy to get lost in there, and hard to find your bearings if you do. I urge you to take your time and stick to the map as much as possible. At the risk of sounding like a shrew, please be careful. We are super grateful that you’re here, but if you get caught, we’ll all be at risk. Thank you so much for coming, commanders! Oh, and good luck! I know we’ll see you soon!”

Hazel’s map was excellent. It wasn’t long before Whiskers and Fluffbottom found themselves above the prison’s central corridor. They could look into the prison cells, but just as Hazel had mentioned, rescuing the inmates would not be possible from this position. Each air vent was secured with a heavy, locked grate.

The prison block was mostly quiet, but faint conversation could be heard from somewhere down the corridor. As the hamsters drew closer, Whiskers realized that one of the voices sounded familiar. Could it be?

It was! In the cell below them were four inmates — a rat, a hamster, a chinchilla, and a hedgehog. The hedgehog was none other than his dear friend, Andy Quills. Andy was in a bad situation here, but he was alive and appeared healthy.

As quietly as possible, the Commander addressed his friend, “Hey Andy, this is Maxwell Whiskers speaking.”

“Maxwell!” Andy quickly turned to the front of his cell. “Where are you, man? I can’t see you.”

“I’m in the ventilation shaft, right above your cell door. I can see you, but with the darkness and this tight grating, I don’t imagine you can see me. Is it safe to talk if we keep our voices low?”

“Yes, yes, it’s fairly safe to talk here. We rarely see guards at night. You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice, Maxwell. Thank you for coming, man.”

Andy turned to his bewildered cellmates and said, “This is the commander-friend I was telling you about. I told you he’d come!”

“Listen, Andy, I’m here with Commander Elsie Fluffbottom. It’s just the two of us at the moment, and we’re trying to figure out what’s happening here. Trying to determine our next steps. We know there’s a group of ferrets in charge, but we have no idea what they’re after.”

“Oh, Maxwell, it’s been horrible here, man. I’ve been in here for about a month, I think. These poor guys have been locked up for at least twice that.”

Andy’s cellmates nodded vigorously. Their haunted expressions revealing much about their mental states.

“The ferret in charge is a billionaire named Grady Muskmelon. He’s using us to develop a hyperrealistic, virtual reality hunting program. The ferrets don’t talk to us much, but collectively we’ve managed to overhear quite a bit. It seems that Muskmelon intends to build a high-class resort for wealthy predators. Not only will they get the stalk-and-kill experience, but there will also be tournaments and betting. Like a virtual arena type thing. It’s sick, man!”

Andy took a deep breath and continued.

“Almost daily, we’re kitted out with sensors and chased. They drop us into some weird, old-world environment, and eventually drop the ferrets in with us. Sometimes we only see one ferret, sometimes there’s a whole group of them. Either way, it’s terrifying. None of us are getting any sleep — too many ferret nightmares, man. And with their longer exposure, these guys have it even worse than me. You’ve got to get us out of here, Maxwell.”

“I intend to, Andy. But you’ll have to hold tight for just a bit longer. It’s becoming obvious that Fluffbottom and I are in over our heads, and will likely need some backup.”

Fluffbottom, who had been quiet since they arrived at Andy’s cell, spoke up and joined the conversation.

“I agree with you completely, Commander Whiskers. If we want a positive outcome here, we’ll need some heavy backup. Andy, this is Commander Fluffbottom speaking. I have a couple of questions for you. First off, I’m wondering about their numbers. Do you have any idea how many ferrets there are? My second question involves weaponry. Are the ferrets armed? Not that their built-in weapons aren’t formidable enough.”

“First of all, Commander Fluffbottom, it’s an honor to meet you. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you, ma’am.”

“Thank you, Captain Quills. That’s nice of you to say.”

“I can’t be certain about your first question, but I’ll give you my observations, Commander. There are different groups with different duties stationed all over Acorn. I’m pretty good with names and faces, and I’d say we deal with twenty-five to thirty individuals around here. If the other teams are comparable, that’s quite a few ferrets. I’m guessing there are no less than two hundred of them.”

Andy’s cellmates nodded their agreement.

“As far as weapons are concerned, I have yet to see anything illegal. Some of them do have stun guns and cattle prods, though. We’ve all experienced the cattle prods, and they are far from pleasant, ma’am. Quite effective at rendering one helpless.”

“I can only imagine, Captain Quills. I’m sorry for what you’re going through. Do you have any idea why you were chosen, Captain?”

“Well, we know they want good species representation. That much is obvious. Beyond that, I think they’re looking for spunk, Commander. Most of the guys and gals they’re holding are scrappy and intelligent. You know, survivalist types. Folks that don’t back down from a fight. Their little game wouldn’t be much fun if their opponents froze or played dead. So yeah, I think they’re looking for a challenge, ma’am.

This wasn’t the first time Andy’s mouth had caused trouble for him. Hopefully it wouldn’t be the last.

“Listen, Andy,” Whiskers began. “As much as it kills me to leave you guys here, I’m afraid we have no choice. There’s no way Commander Fluffbottom and I can be successful here on our own. We need to report back to Admiral Beaks and receive council on how to proceed. There are many lives at stake, and each one must be considered equally.”

“I completely understand, Maxwell. Please tell Petunia that I love her and that I’ll be home soon. Thank you for coming, friend. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Just knowing there’s light at the end of this horrific tunnel is doing me a world of good, man.”

“Goodbye, Andy. I promise to return as soon as possible.”

As heartbreaking as it was, Whiskers and Fluffbottom had no choice but to leave the space station as it was. They were both quiet as they made their way back to the shuttle, the fate of so many weighing heavily on their minds.

It was close to dawn when the commanders returned to Fluffbottom’s ship. Whiskers should have been exhausted, but the adrenaline from their mission was still coursing through his veins. As they walked towards the command center, his mind started to drift.

Commander Fluffbottom has been amazing to work with. She’s brave, clever, kind…the perfect companion for a stressful situation…for any situation, really. I can only hope that she feels the same about…

“Do you think we’ll wake the Admiral with our call?” Fluffbottom asked.

Her voice snapped the commander out of his reverie, and he instantly felt a stab of guilt. How can I think of romance when my best friend is being tortured by ferrets!?! How crass can I possibly be? Worry about yourself later and answer her question, you doofus!

“I doubt it, Commander Fluffbottom. A fine rooster like Beaks would never miss a sunrise. Even if he can’t see it from where he is.”

Seconds after Fluffbottom placed the call, the face of Admiral Beaks appeared on the monitor.

“Commander Fluffbottom, Commander Whiskers, I trust you have something to report.”

“We do indeed, Admiral,” Fluffbottom began. “The problem is ferrets, sir. Lots and lots of ferrets.”

Coming soon…The Adorable Explorers — Episode Five

The hamster commanders have uncovered the ferret problem, but what’s the solution? What will Admiral Beaks say? Will the prisoners be rescued before it’s too late? Stay tuned to find out!

Here’s another link to the series.