The Great Feeder

The world went mad in the late 2020's.

The changes started subtly. Freakish events that seemed unexplainable. 

Global warming had finally become undeniable.

 Before the world went insane Quincy Bordeaux was just a kid with a high IQ and low motivation.  Although blessed by a genius level intelligence Quincy was awkward, distant, he didn’t make friends easily. The solitary young man never cared much for the company of other human beings. The young teen loved his parents, his medical marijuana, and the family dog, in that order.

Quincy’s family had history. The Bordeaux family lived in the same corner of Louisiana for over 500 years. The Bordeaux family was French Cajun and could trace their bloodline and the bloodlines of the family pet back to Franch. They had been living in their old plantation house since sugar cane became a Louisiana staple.

At 15 Quincy had been offered scholarships to colleges across the U.S. It was the early 2030’s and society was still pretending that the world had not gone completely crazy. In the interest of survival Colleges and school still churn out scientists to attempt to fix the impending doom. Science soldiers.

After getting his doctorate in duel sciences by 18 Quincy returned to his hometown. He had learned a lot about his choice of sciences, he also had learned that friends were a liability. His only friend in college, where they were divided into teams working on trying to preserve the rapidly disintegrating planet, had stolen Quincy's fertility plans and engineered the super Kudzu. The same Kudzu that later attacked and devoured cities and rural landscapes alike.

When things went from slightly bad to downright dangerous Quincy Bordeaux would not have been on anyone's most likely to survive list.  

Bordeaux’s peers go on to aid in humanity's last ditch effort to survive; Not Quincy he grew his own cannabis and buried himself away.

All over the world people were beginning to disappear. Seeming to just be sucked underground. In times past you would have called for a missing person’s investigation in these new crazy times anyone missing was assumed to be dead.

When Quincy's parents came up missing he suffered a psychotic break. The solitary young prodigy chose to move out West. To disappear

 Their estate gave the young man enough to move away from everything and everyone.

Quincy establishes a small ranch. Just him and the family dog.

While money was still usable Quincy started the cannabis farm that would later save his life. The fertilizer that created the virulent Kudzu strain has an incredible effect on those plants. Plants, that he baby’s and treats like treasured family members. The mutated marijuana is mentally neutering him and he doesn’t realize it.  He loves his plants and with a rudimentary intelligence dawning in them they love him as well.  Which is why they rescue him from the Kudzu.

Television and internet no longer exists. So he hasn’t heard the news that animals are becoming sentient. Yet he doesn’t question it when his family’s Jack Russel Terrier begins to converse with him. He simply feels that now he has someone to talk too.  His dog Phydeaux the Canine, leaves for long periods of time only sometimes coming by to chat.They talk for hours in front of Quincy's fire place. The Canine pieces together his lineage in these conversations.

Unbeknownst to Quincy the brave dog is also keeping him safe. Years pass and Quincy uses his brilliance and his Plant science and animal husbandry degrees to grow better marijuana and extend his beloved dog’s life span. His adjustments to “Phydeaux the canine’s” DNA aid in the future longevity of an entire species.

It wasn’t his intent to strengthen the entire race, He did it because he couldn’t stand to lose his only friend.

The barnyard science curry’s favor with the other sentient animals. Enough so that they leave the tasty looking human to his own devices.

As more and more human beings are killed or come up missing Quincy takes no note. He kept eating the food that somehow always seemed to get tangled up in his Cannabis farm, his plants keeping him supplied with fresh meat. The former family dog spends most of his days close to Quincy’s home. The now much larger Terrier tired, scarred, and timeworn. Phydeaux's sons take on the bulk of the task of protecting the now thoroughly crazed man.

He always shares his haul with the mutated Terrier clan. The Clan Elder tells them to protect the man because he is faithful, because he is a Great Feeder. The Elder Phydeaux dies shortly after the Simians and the Whales have abandoned their mother planet. Phydeaux’s eldest son takes the job of protecting the feeder. His brother’s Nephews and Nieces and in time his own sons battle the insects that are pouring from beneath the planet surface. Phydeaux the 2^nd doesn’t leave Quincy’s side. He buries the bones as the last man on earth breathes his last. His son Phydeaux Canine the 3^rd buries his father alongside the human’s remains. The human’s name is forgotten as the Canine race makes its exodus from the world that is now dry, dying, and soon to be overrun by seven foot cockroaches.

Quincy’s deeds, and the words of the elder still resonant Eons after. His story has changed as stories do. No one remembers the name Quincy Bordeaux They remember the legend of the great feeder a legend blown out of proportion with time. He goes from simply being the one who gave them the means to live longer lives to the one who actually created life. From being a man who loved his childhood friend to a deity.  The legends separate Quincy from the rest of humanity. The rest of the race has become unimportant. They become regulated in memory to servants of the Great Feeder “The Faithful” is what the human beings who provided for them and cared for their needs are known as.

The entire pack all of the breeds and types have been given the teachings of the Elder.

The descendants of that Elder have gone on to battle the scourge of the Cockroach Empire. They hold positions in the canine government they're great dogs.

His namesake Phydeaux KaKnine is the Grand Admiral in service to the king himself.  The highest ranking dog in the Royal Canine Marine Corps.

Admiral Phydeaux is not what you would call religious, in fact he isn’t so sure he believes in the Great Feeder.

 It doesn’t stop him from invoking the name in a curse.

Just John??

My name is John Cobb.

I've always been an unremarkable individual.

I know it.

In fact my nicknames are Regular John, Just John, and Plain Cobb. 

My father is a world renowned inventor. That's funny because my mother, who's a world record holder for her vegetables, says he couldn't put batteries in a flashlight before they adopted me.

Well like I said I'm pretty plain. I've never been an athlete, though I was the "Manager" for our undefeated basketball and football teams in high school. The only teams in our school's history to have back to back undefeated seasons.

People always wonder about the Just John, Regular John thing. Well, I was one of five kids named John in my class.

I suppose things could have been worse.

I could have been Dirty John, Stupid John, or Poor Cobb.

Anyway, I believed all my life that I was just a regular guy.

Compared to all of the people around me, I've been a champion of mediocrity. I mean seriously my older sister was Miss Mississippi. My younger sister was an all state gymnast. 
All my life I belived that the people around me where simply better at everything than I was . Until one day I was watching my favorite NFL team on the big screen at Hooters. One of the running backs broke 5 tackles 5! In my seat at the sports bar I yelled out "That dude anit human! Straight up that dude is not a human being!" Well the running back scores the touchdown, takes off his helmet, looks straight into the camera and says. "Neither are you just John!" A day later I receive tickets to my teams next game

Phydeaux Kaknine: Hero Of The Pack

The year is 3787 in human years. 954 years AM [After Man.]  
The earth and all of its nearest neighbors belong solely to the Cockroach Imperium.
In 2021 the president of the United States of America made it legal for companies to discard of their toxic waste in the oceans, underground and generally anywhere they were willing to bribe their way into.
 Somehow other world leaders agreed with the destructive policy and within a decade, Climate change, the pollution and some say alien influence, caused a new wave of evolution on the Green planet.
Kudzu went from being a minor irritant to being life-threatening. A crushing verdant tsunami engulfing houses and cars. 
Apes, monkeys, whales, and Dolphins had developed speech and outgrown their prospective environs by the late 2030s. House pets abandoned their "owners" and soon were likewise speech capable and self-aware.
The Cockroach Empire grew underground and spread quickly worldwide. The now super intelligent and nearly indestructible insects, spend centuries plotting and scheming. The strongest and smartest have risen to the top with Darwinian efficiency. 
The Emperor wants everything.

By the 22nd century, mankind was a rarity.
The human beings who had not become refugees or food have been sold to alien species that refused to interact with Earth while humans had been in charge.
The whales and Dolphins were the first of the newly sentient species to leave earth.
Their spacecraft rose from the oceans like Megladons of old taking sizeable portions of the water-table with them.
The Monkeys and Apes were the next to vacate the planet, their scientists had discovered a super-earth within a few light years.
The canine and feline groups were divided by those who were evolved from house pets and those whose ancestors were feral.
Eventually, the Leonines accepted the felines that would leave those that remained quickly became roach food.
The Wolves had reconciled with coyotes, and all other canine classes but would not accept Dogs.
The Dogs were almost the last to leave the embrace of the mother planet. 
As a result, they were the only ones of the surviving groups to actually witness the rise of the Cockroach imperium.
The dogs and the roaches fought viciously for decades. They couldn't coexist, the Roaches demand full control over the planet. They also like the taste of young dogs.
Finally, the Dogs fled realizing that the planet was lost to them. Licking their wounds both literally and metaphorically they mass produced spacecraft and broke free of the emerald world and into the black seas of outer space.
 In the centuries that followed The Whales, Simians, (by now the monkeys, had gotten fancy) and Leonines, joined the Canines in forming a group of the survivors of the Earth. When great reptiles limped away from the Sol system in a trio of ships, the leaders of the Survivors knew that the Cockroaches would not be far behind.
Ship and weapon development became the main drive for all of the remaining species.

*                                                      *
The first ships of the Cockroach Imperium left their nine planet system five hundred years after the fall of man.   
                                  *                                                 *
War, has come to the inky depths of space. Beings of all of the races have grown up in a constant state of hostilities.
Phydeaux KaKnine, Admiral first class of the Canine Republic’s Royal Marine Corp. is one of those that have grown up at war. He has seen action planet-side and in space. Phydeaux has fought alongside the Reptilians, and their allies an alien group of reptiles. He proved his bravery fighting beside those cold-blooded bastards and showed just as much disdain for the roaches. Three of the medals that grace his chest are from that doomed enterprise. They must have killed a trillion of the enemy, only to see fresh troop ships drop more. He has fought the 2-meter tall insects tooth and paw.
He has only produced one brood of pups. Those only because the law said he must. Although his bloodline has been in every war and battle from The Awareness and before, he doesn't care to keep it going. 
 Phydeaux believes his height and coloration make him less than idea as a mate. 
His compact size and his vicious nature make him a great soldier, however.
Phydeaux strolls the bridge of his ship. All of the marines around him are bigger beefier and more brawny than he. Were there a being who had known the dog breeds of earth aboard, they would have been able to tell that most of the marines are descended from breeds known as Pit Bulls, Doberman’s and Great Danes, Phydeaux’s ancestors had been Jack Russel Terriers.
Of course, Phydeaux is surrounded by only the cream of the crop. He is an important dog.  A hero of the pack. His ship is encircled by the deadliest teeth the fleet can offer. The ship’s captain hates him, Phydeaux can smell his disdain each time he and the massive dog are together.
Soon none of that will matter the Cockroach Imperium is pressing for more territory and rather than find their own, they plan to take the worlds that the Simian, Leonine, and Canine peoples have built. Their fleet is on the move. The Whales have less to fear, on their watery planet, but Cockroaches are greedy and petty enough to want it for themselves simply because it is there. 
Not if Phydeaux has anything to say about it. This ends here and now. Hackles up and showing teeth the Admiral retires to his quarters. Calisthenics and a grueling paw to paw combat workout, help settle his nerves. Blaring alarms wake him before he realizes he's fallen asleep.
 "All paws to battle stations! All paws to battle stations."
 The bridge wasn't truly the admirals designated battle station but there was no way that Phydeaux wasn't going where the action was. This is what he's trained for his whole life. It's what his ancestors have done since the beginning. 

The Simian ships are engaged in Ariel maneuvers that defy logic. The Dolphins are weaving in and out of the cockroach fleet attempting to split it into manageable portions.
There are just too many of them, their ships continue to split into smaller more maneuverable pieces. 
Capt. Rottweil has their "Fighting Teeth" engaging the cockroach’s ships. 
Rottweil is a new fool.
Phydeaux, barks at the bridge.
"Belay that foolishness. Have the Teeth that are already engaged pretend to show the enemy their belly and as the cockroaches come within distance of the ship microwave their ass. Do it now Marine!" The ensign rushes to obey. Rottweil approaches his jowls quivering with rage. 
"A word Admiral?" 
The captain dwarfs Phydeaux in both height and weight, Phydeaux's ears are at the bottom of the captain’s chest, the dog is as big as a roach. 
"No Captain."
Phydeaux says without looking. His teeth flash, the threat openly apparent.
"If we win this battle you can have as many words as you want. If we don't it won't fucking matter. Rottweil, I kill roaches I do it better than anything else, better than anyone else. Fire the ticks onto that large ship. Hit that ship where I highlighted." 
The bridge crew cheers as the ship in question implodes, the "Ticks," burrowing missiles that weaken the structure of the ship have caused the ship to rupture. The crew of the doomed vessel struggle against the vacuum longer than any of the beings watching are capable of, longer than is comfortable to observe. "I kill them." He points to a mass of ships headed towards them. "Then I kill some more of them. Lay down triplicate fields of microwave mines let our allies know it's about to get toasty. Send a squadron of undogged
Drone fleas in behind them. Rottweil are in this fight or aren't you?!" 
The captain takes his spot at the helm coordinating the battle with the Admiral. The Dolphins and Simians are fighting well the Leonine Alliance has suffered some severe losses including the kings carrier. The sentient felines are only physically in the fight. Their young King was beloved by the masses. The Whales ships are the most successful as they are able to time jump in 22 second intervals they have been able to destroy literally billions of ships, still they come.
The fleets continue to bombard each other. 
The ships of the cockroach empire have them outclassed, outgunned and outnumbered. Surrender is not an option.
Win or die on your own paws. The cockroaches see them as food and materials nothing more nothing less. 
This war was about food and more places to occupy for the insects. For the Canines and their alliance it’s about survival.
The insects have numbers on their side and those greater numbers are wearing Phydeaux and his allies down. 
Suddenly a great howl from a myriad of throats fills the ships speakers. 
The wolves have arrived. Their ships mirror the bodies of their ancestors and attack in mini packs. On their heels are the Urusus, (bears) Isurus, (sharks) and other feral beings.  
The all out push of the Cockroaches has brought out creatures that Phydeaux hadn't known existed, somehow the Arachnids have gotten behind the cockroach fleet their plasma webs shred any ship that touches it. The lethal webbing springs up everywhere forcing the Cockroaches to change how they fight. Phydeaux's voice rings out in every ship translated to clicks, grunts, whistles, and screeches his words filter through water, reverberate through silk, and stone every ship hears him. “This is the hoard that would end us. These are the eaters of our puppies, the destroyers of the first home. Give them no quarter, press until they are crushed. Make sure that the Cockroaches can NEVER bring their filth past Sol ever again!” 
Phydeaux’s rousing words are answered by the languages of a multitude.
Though the allies have the advantage now, it is not an easy battle. 
The roaches refuse to surrender. 
Boarding parties must fight to the last being. 
Phydeaux's marines make him proud. 
He hates to see so many of them lost. 
Many of them are just barely past pups, they have earned this victory the hard way and once the salvageable ships have been scrubbed and disinfected the technology will be absorbed into the ally’s knowledge. Phydeaux stands at attention, he's on the railing of a captured vessel overlooking a large portion of the oddly configured craft. 
The rest of the ship has been examined, the monarchs present have decided to have an impromptu sit down. 
Phydeaux smells the Wolf long before he sees her, even through the smell of the roaches and the recent death and destruction he can tell she's nearly in season.
The footfalls, put her at approximately 20 stone.
That's small for a wolf even a female. 
He turns to her and sees why, she's a mutt, her coloration and the shape of her muzzle hint at fox DNA. 
Despite the fact that she is not yet in season Phydeaux finds her irresistible. Even before her husky voice graces his ears. "The legendary Phydeaux KaKnine. Aren't you a dashing dog? You cut a fine figure admiral." The fox like female began circling him, it was a few seconds before he realizes he too is moving slowly assessing her.
She leans in and sniffs him! How cheeky.
It's considered rude to sniff someone without their permission. 
It is a very intimate gesture. 
He likes it.
Your scent revealed things about you that you might not want known, to a stranger.
Her musk enfolds the tough little dog and batters his defenses. Baring his right teeth and planting his feet Phydeaux's question is a growl. 
"Who are you?" 
Her fur glows, its reddish brown tint alluring and dangerous. Her hazel, orbs devour him beneath perfect lashes.
He spies her perfect paw, claws impeccably manicured she's important.
Her uniform is fur tight and leaves little to the imagination, but her rank is not clearly displayed. 
The yipping laughter is endearing her answer so casual Phydeaux nearly misses the import. 
"I am Vice-Admiral Naphausa Vivian primary adjunct to the Grand Alpha." 
Phydeaux thinks "Great feeder! She is..." Naphausa chose that moment to sniff his ear! Phydeaux yelps and leaps backwards.
"Hey!" 
The yipping laughter again Phydeaux realizes this is a battle he's unprepared for.


Stay tuned for more of Phydeaux Kaknine's adventures. 
If you liked this story leave comments and I might post more.