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Chapter one

“Welcome to the future, Draconis Rex.” And with those words my life changed forever. But how did I get to the future? Funny you should ask. I went to sleep one night, listening to the sound of my cellmate falling asleep. Yes, I was in prison. Well, sort of. I was put behind bars for killing my master. My own doctor was going to put me down, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Point is I went to sleep one night in 2005 and woke up in 2756.

“Who the devil are you?” I asked. The other cat, a tall white-haired fellow, laughed a hollow laugh.

“My name is Mistofeles Manson.” He replied, looking down at me with his beady black eyes. I looked back up, feeling locked to him by his gaze. He smiled somewhat evilly at my look, which I am sure was one of confusion.

“Why am I here?” I looked around, noticing that I was in what appeared to be a dungeon. “Why am I in a dungeon?”

Manson grins sickeningly. “You are a hero to us, Draconis. But, heroes can’t always be trusted.” He waves his hand around the dungeon, gesturing at the walls that are covered in blood spatter. “This will be your home until I know that I can use you to the benefit of society.”

“Are you joking? You’re a cat, I’m a cat, and holy squeaks did I just talk? In English?”

“Language!” There was a warning in Manson’s voice. “’Squeaks is a swear word now. I had the standard genetic advancements done while you were asleep.”

“Umm, what’s genetics?” I asked. Manson laughed.

“You will soon find out, Draconis Rex. Now, I will leave you to sleep and I will get you some food. When I return, we will see what you can do.”

I looked around a bit more. The room was dark, and a slight scent drifted through the room. I found out later that it was sleeping gas. But right then, it took me by force. My head hit the ground, and my mind drifted back to the past.

The room was dark and I had no food. Though I could see, I was terrified. Who knew when I would leave the darkness?  I knew two things, though. One: That I was hungry enough to start gnawing away at myself and two: That I was angry enough to hurt my owner. Maybe even kill him.

I had no idea what was happening to Minx, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. My fleabag of a master had probably tortured her half to death. Exhausted by thinking those woeful thoughts, I fell back on the door and it opened. HE Must have unlocked it to slip the camera under and forgotten. Not that I complained.

My former home was in disarray. Old food boxes were scattered on the floor and the house smelled like death. As I searched, I found why. My beloved Minx, the best friend I ever had. She lay on the floor with a crowbar through her small white body and cigarette burns discolouring her fluffy fur. I bent down to lick her neck, the same thing I did every day when I greeted her. I backed away slowly as the aroma of the corpse washed over me. As I looked down at my friend the dead dog I knew one thing; Master had to die.

The front door opened, and in stepped my master with a bag of the foul water he drank. He looked at me funny, and then said, “How did you get out?” I barely heard him; his mere sight filled me with rage. Without really thinking, I pounced on him, aiming for the neck.

He screamed as the force from my leap pushed him to the floor. He continued screaming as I ripped and tore at his flesh. I didn’t care. I just wanted to see him dead. After a while, he stopped moving.

The neighbours heard his screams and came rushing into the apartment. They stopped dead when they saw me standing over his body, blood covering my fur. In a panic, they took me to be destroyed. They did not notice the dead, tortured bichon on the floor, nor did they notice my ribs sticking out. Stupid animals only care about their dead and don’t care about all the wrong he did me in my life. Nope, it was kill the cat; he’s got rabies. Sometimes I wished they’d be the ones at the bottom of the food chain.

“Draconis?” My eyes slowly opened. Manson stood over me, holding out a black leather collar. I sat up in a hurry. I hate collars. “Don’t worry, this is just to be sure you won’t run away.”

“I just woke up in the future, where will I run to?” I grabbed the collar and put it around my neck. I thought, When did I get so sarcastic? And when did my limbs do…

“Advancements.” Said Manson, as if he could read my mind. “The collar is a tracking device. After you’ve gained our trust, you will not have to wear it.” He walked to the dungeon door and opened it with a small touch of his hand. “Come, hero. We will see your abilities.”

I was led down a long hallway that seemed to be made of steel. “It is the least damaged by our claws.” Said Manson.

I looked at my claws. “These couldn’t do much.”

Manson held out his paw, finger tips long with claws as long as a dog’s canines.  “But these could.” After I had a long enough look, he slipped his paw back into his long black robes. We continued to walk in silence.

“I don’t understand something. Is it only cats here?”

Manson stopped at a large steel door. “No, but it is mostly the animals that were closest to the humans.” I am confused for a moment, but then Manson opens the door. In a large circular room stood a Great Dane, a rabbit and a mouse, each dressed in military clothes.

The Great Dane spoke first. “Manson, what is the meaning of this?” He looked at me in disgust. “A prisoner, half clothed no less?”

“Trust me, general Randalf. This is the one we’ve been looking for.” He pet my shoulder and backed away. I didn’t understand why he did that until the mouse charged at me.

The little guy was almost the same size as they had been in 2005, but this guy was a lot feistier. He came out of nowhere, with blows to the joints and stomach. The critter laughed at me as I fell to the floor.

“I am Topac, the top fighter in my species. You think you can take me, you pathetic creature? You are nothing! You are a filthy fleabag!”

If there’s one thing I hate, it’s being told I’m a fleabag. Especially a filthy one. I reached out and grabbed the little guy. It was easy; he fit right in my hand. I grabbed him and squeezed until it looked like his eyes were going to pop out. He made little noises that sounded like begging for his life.

“Who’s pathetic now?” I asked him, before throwing him to the wall. He hit with a light thud and didn’t get up. I stood, dusting off my body and looking at my observers. They were stunned.

“Well,” said General Randalf, eyes wide in shock, “He certainly is something.”

And just like that, I became a part of the future.