Frontier Rats - Quest for Ratopia

Rats don’t mourn for long. With such short lives, death is a familiar thing to them. Yet the pain Uphrasia felt when his mother died still burns, although buried deep down somewhere inside. Through urgent necessity he pulled himself out of his slump and forged forward with all the other rats. After all, they had all lost someone close to them, they were all in this together. So he took a deep breath and joined them in the brave march towards the future, whatever that might be.

For some time the path through the forest is familiar to all the rats, although Uphrasia and Konrad are the only ones to recognise the route they take alongside the human’s floodlit vegetable garden. After a few hours more marching even General Scrod does not recognise anything familiar at all. After another hour they stop for a rest so that Abler and Scrod can consult the map and work out the best way forward. Scrod frowns as he studies the map. “We’ve never been this far west of the plant Professor, we had better keep our wits about us.”

“You expect predators?”

“I do! There are far too many of us not to make a strong scent. I’ve had the feeling something has been following us for some time now.”

Abler rubs his chin and places his skinny finger on the map pointing to where the forest ends and a wide open space of nothing begins, a dotted line leads across it to a crude drawing of a spaceship. “The wastelands will be the greatest challenge for the smaller ones.”

“We’ll have to figure something out for them.” Scrod folds up the map, clears his throat and puffs up his chest. “Gather round all of you!” The band of around ninety rats all make a large circle around him and Abler. “I want you all to listen very carefully to what I am about to say. We are going across the wasteland tomorrow: a wilderness of great danger with no food or shelter for many miles. You must all keep up and stay together.” They all grumble and chatter. Scrod raises one paw. “I know you are all tired and weary, but we must move onwards to the edge of the forest to make camp so that we can cross the wasteland in daylight. Let’s move out rats!”

The smaller rats are lead out by Professor Abler and Nute who drag a cart full of equipment between them. The larger rats follow, headed by the seven remaining Zucker rats, then a mixed group of black, brown and fancy rats make up the rear guard. Uphrasia and Konrad follow up at the back. Konrad yawns and scratches his chest through his tunic. “All this marching is making me hungry. Do you think there will be a hot meal when we make camp?”

“Konrad, I doubt there will be any food when we get to camp.”

“Oh, of course. No one to cook for us, all dead.”

“Here.” Uphrasia opens his tunic pocket and takes out a flapjack. “I kept one for the journey. Take it.”

Konrad looks at the flapjack then frowns up at Uphrasia. “I couldn’t. That’s one of the ones…”

“Yes. The last flapjack my mother made. Look she’d want us to share it. Come on I’ll split it with you.”

The edges of Konrad’s mouth turn down. “Well OK. Only because she’d want us to eat it and because I’m very, very hungry.”

Uphrasia breaks it in two and gives one half to Konrad. Konrad waits for Uphrasia to take a bite, then eats his half.

They march through the forest, heading west. The path has gone now so they have to struggle through thick undergrowth and thorny brambles. They keep close. The smaller rats are linked together by a rope tied round their left paws. The others stick together looking all around for danger and predators. As night falls there are many strange sounds in the dark blackness beyond the feint light of the rat’s tiny torches. Konrad shakes his torch and it flickers on and off. “Darn batteries are flat again.”

Uphrasia moves behind him and shines his torch over Konrad’s shoulder and they follow the group this way for a mile or so until Scrod raises his paw and shouts. “Halt!” All the rats stop and catch up with him. They find themselves in a clearing next to a fallen tree that has rotted on one side making a natural wall. “We will make camp here. It’s too dark to proceed safely. Gather wood and forage for food. Remember your training and don’t stray too far from the light of the fire. Rose and Nute fetch water.” He gives Rose a large plastic bottle in a net sling. Rose and Nute carry it between them and head off into the trees. It is not long before they find a trickling brook. Rats have an enhanced sense of smell and can always find water or sniff out something to eat when they need it. Nute looks up at the tree canopy, her face betraying her feeling that she has the world on her shoulders.

Rose watches her intently. “What are your wires telling you?”

Nute looks down into the trickling water. “Nothing good. I think we should stay close to the General tomorrow. The wasteland is full of death!” Rose dips the bottle in the stream and it fills. Then they screw the lid on, place it in the sling and carry it back to camp in silence.

When they get back to camp all the other rats are sitting round the fire toasting worms and slugs over the flames. They plonk the water bottle down and Scrod gives them each a twig with a fat slug on the tip. “Well done.” They take their place beside Uphrasia and Konrad and hold their supper over the fire. Rose looks sideways at Uphrasia and he shuffles about and clears his throat.

“You found that water fast.”

“Uh hum.”

“That was. That was good foraging skills.”

“Yep.” They stare into the fire for a moment.

“I’m sorry about our date.”

“It’s OK. I mean we understand you were held up with foraging detention. Just as well as it turned out.”

Konrad munches on a crispy worm. “We saw a dead crow when we were foraging just now. It was covered in maggots and really stinky!”

Rose frowns. “Right… Well it was good to catch up.” She and Nute get up and move around to the other side of the fire.

Uphrasia nudges Konrad in the ribs. “Why did you mention that dead crow?”

“I don’t know I was just making small talk.”

“Well you scared them away.”

“Well I’m sorry. I told you I can’t talk to girls.”

“Well then don’t.”

“Well I won’t.”

“Fine then.”

“Right then.” They both chew on their crispy worms and stare into the flames.

Scout forages in the dark forest. He spots a white grub under a log and picks it up and sniffs it. It wiggles loose and drops onto the ground and rolls down a slope. Scout follows it and then trips and tumbles down head over paws after it. He lands with a bump on a tree root and knocks himself out. The grub crawls slowly away and disappears under a leaf.

The morning sun peeks through the leaf canopy as the rats break camp and pack up their things. They line up for a swift inspection then they all march off in double time towards the edge of the forest. The trees give way to the open wasteland and Scrod narrows his eyes looking into the distance. Then when they are all lined up he gives the order. “Rats! On the double! March!” They all march out onto the plain, no one looks back.

About an hour later Scout comes round, he rubs his aching head. “Oh!” He stands up, staggers around a little then looks up at the waving trees. “I’m lost!” For about ten minutes he gathers his senses then climbs back up the bank to find his bearings. He recognises the log where he found that grub the night before. He crouches down and looks at the ground. Feeling with his paws he finds a footprint; it’s his own. He follows his tracks and eventually arrives at the deserted camp. The fire is cold as he feels through the ashes with his foot. “Gone a few hours.” Scout looks up at the sun shining through the trees, then he looks at the nearest tree and feels around the trunk for moss. Moss usually grows on the northern side of a tree where it is shaded from the sun. Scout takes a bearing from his path to the camp and using the sun and the moss he estimates west and heads out in that direction. He soon reaches the edge of the forest and looks out at the vast wasteland that stretches as far as the horizon. On the dusty ground are many little rat footprints heading west. He does not hesitate but marches confidently out into the vast deserted space. A while later a fox wanders into the abandoned camp and starts to sniff around. She is a vixen and she is hungry. She soon picks up Scout’s scent and follows his trail to the edge of the forest. Normally she would not venture out into the wastelands but there has been nothing to hunt for several days. Pushed on by hunger she trots out over the dusty plain.

Out on the exposed plain the wind picks up clouds of dust and blows it into their eyes as they march. It is icy cold and their feet are numb and their paws are blue. At night there is no shelter for the rats to sleep under, so they all gather together in a huddle. The first night is quiet and although it snowed again, the huddle was warm. They heard the hoot of the owl but it did not discover them. The second night however is not so good. The owl came and took one of the smaller recruits in the darkness. No one heard it come or saw it go; just the blood-stained space where the rat had been the night before. The next night they do not stop to sleep but keep going all night. At around dawn they reach a small mound of tyres and find some shelter there. They huddle together inside the tyres and soon all fall into a deep sleep.

Scout wanders on alone, guarding his eyes with his paw from the icy wind and dust. He loses his sense of direction and strays off course. A stroke of luck as it happens because the fox barely misses him as it passes by. It picks up the scent of the other rats and begins to run.

The fox arrives at the tyre dump and starts to hunt around, sniffing and digging until it finds a young female fancy rat, one of Scout’s group. The fox carries her off into the darkness. The other rats stare out from their hiding places with wide frightened eyes and no one sleeps a wink from that point on. Scrod gathers the group for a head count and has to make some tough choices. “We have taken some losses. The fox will no doubt return so we must divide into groups.” He takes out the map and they gather round. “We are here and the space port is this way to the west. I will lead the strongest and fittest rats in a diversionary route while the weaker and smaller rats will make a dash for the space port in a straight line. ’Ten-shun!” They all stand to attention and line up for an inspection. Scrod walks along the line checking their uniforms and patting the smaller ones on the head. “I am proud to count myself among you brave young rats today. We all know what is at stake so let’s not delay. Scout!” There is no reply. “Scout?!” All the other rats look around. Scrod frowns and folds his arms. “Ah. Well then, Professor, Rose and Nute will lead the first group. Take your team and all the smaller rats directly to the space port and get aboard as soon as you arrive. Hurry now!” They salute him and lead the group away up a short gradient and then pause at the top to look back once at their comrades, then they disappear over the horizon. The remaining rats get busy covering up their tracks and making new scent paths to confuse the fox. Then Scrod calls them into a small circle. “I did not want to share this with you while the smaller rats were with us. I have to tell you that our plan is far more dangerous than I first explained. We stronger rats will split up into two separate teams. I will lead one team northwards with all the equipment before making our way to the space port. Team two, you wait here until the fox comes into view, then run southwards leading her off and make your way northwest to the space port. I know this will be a perilous mission for the brave few who remain here. I wish there was another way but a fox is a determined predator and it will not stop until it kills us all! Some of you may not make it. It’s a tough call but I have to select this team based on physical fitness and aptitude for this task.”

Uphrasia and Konrad sit on the top of the tyre dump watching the horizon to the east, towards Grumthorpe and the inevitable return of the fox. “Strange that General Scrod volunteered us for this important mission ’ay Uphrasia.”

“Yes, he seems to have picked us out from the crowd.”

Two Zucker rats and a young brown rat sit on the plain a short distance away also watching intently.

Rats have poor eyesight and they are colour blind, so they struggle with spotting things of contrasting colour in a confusing background. Birds in the sky they can spot, as they can pick out dark objects against a light background. So it was no surprise that they did not spot the fox until it was very close.

Konrad shuffles about on his bottom trying to get comfy on the hard rubber. “Is that a fox?”

Uphrasia sighs. “No that’s a duck.” He shakes his head. “Foxes can’t fly Konrad.”

“Oh. Is that a fox?”

“No, that’s a large rock.”

“How about that, that’s a fox right?”

“No Konrad. Wait a moment that is a fox! Run!!”

Before the other rats are on their feet the fox snatches one of the Zucker rats and shakes him in its mouth killing him instantly. The others run up and over the tyre dump and follow Uphrasia and Konrad who are already racing south along the black earth on all fours in a cloud of dust. The fox digs a small hole in the ground and buries the Zucker rat, she’ll be back for that later. Then she climbs up and over the tyre dump and looks southwards, sniffs the air and licks her lips. The plan has worked, she hops down and runs off at a steady pace southward after them. She does not rush, she knows their small legs will not get them very far, so she conserves her energy. The rats run as fast as they can over the dusty ground. Uphrasia pauses to look back. The other two rats are about ten metres behind and the fox another thirty behind them. “She’s gaining on us!”

Konrad puffs. “I don’t know how long I can keep this up! I’m just not built for speed!”

“We have to keep going buddy! Come on!”

A gigantic mountain of garbage sits in the centre of the plain made up of tons of junk discarded by the humans of Grumthorpe. There is everything here, old cookers, motorbikes, garbage and tons of plastic, and on the very top a bright red stunt kite flaps in the wind tied with a pair of strings to an old, rusty metal rocking horse. Each day tons more garbage gets delivered by a steady stream of garbage trucks. They back up and tip up their loads then a man operating a tall crane lifts it up and places it on the very top of the mound. Then they all depart and head back to Grumthorpe as nights in the wastelands are not safe for anyone, not even humans.

Amid this dump of human waste a few creatures eke out a life. A few mice, cockroaches, beetles and ants scour the latest loads for morsels of food. At the bottom of the mound a small opening has been cleared away leading down a shallow slope to a dark hole. There is a scratching sound and out of this hole fly tin cans, old food cartons and soil. A huge feral badger backs out pulling a pile of old bedding made from torn up paper and plastic carrier bags. She has scars on her face and long, sharp canine teeth that poke down from her upper jaw. She carefully tidies up the entrance – badgers are very house proud – then sniffs around the dump looking for a tasty breakfast. Today there is not a lot around as it is Sunday and the garbage workers have the day off. So she digs around the border of the mound for worms and grubs. Scant pickings for such a proud and dangerous hunter. As her tummy rumbles with hunger she remembers chasing rabbits and stealing chickens from the local farms, before they all closed down. The last one was over six miles away and bit by bit the wastelands encroached and swallowed it up. After about an hour of searching and finding nothing she sits at the entrance of her set and warms up in the feint winter sunshine listening to the wind whistling through the gaps in the garbage above.

Back out on the plain the chase continues. Uphrasia notices the great mound rising up in the distance as they get closer to it.

“Konrad! Over there!”

“Can’t! Have to stop!” They stop running and Konrad leans on Uphrasia’s shoulder puffing and sweating. “You go on. I can’t make it buddy!”

“Look, there is cover up ahead, just a bit further Konrad! You can make it. I know you can.”

Konrad catches his breath. “OK. I’ll try.”

“Good rat!” They set off again in the direction of the mound.

Further back the Zucker rat knows the game is almost up. He looks across at the brown rat who is keeping pace with him. “Hey! What’s your name?”

“Tray! What’s yours?”

“Never mind that. Listen! I’m a Zucker rat right!”

“Right!”

“So I’m supposed to be an officer. I’ll be advanced faster than you.”

Tray narrows his eyes. “And your point is?”

My point is that you should fall back, let the better rat go first, if you get my meaning!”

“Oh yeah. I get your meaning. Loud and clear! OK. I’ll drop back then. Good luck!” With that Tray slows down and lets the Zucker rat pull ahead.

“Herm? I thought he’d put up a little bit of a fight.”

Tray looks back to see the fox just five or six metres behind and gaining fast. Then he leaps forward and lands on the Zucker rat’s tail. The Zucker rat stops dead in his tracks and Tray hops over his back and bounces off his head. He races off looking back to see the fox snap its teeth around the Zucker rat’s neck. “Well you wanted to be first!”

Uphrasia and Konrad finally reach the trash mound. They climb up the garbage and hop in through a narrow hole. They slither through the smelly compressed metal and plastic, then pop out at the entrance of the badger’s sett and come face to face with the badger. She roars at them and shows her vicious teeth. They back up into the tunnel just as she snaps her teeth at them narrowly missing Uphrasia’s face. They make their way up the trash pile, through old pipes, squeezing between squashed shopping trollies and discarded bicycles. The badger digs and rips at the trash trying to get at them. They go deeper and deeper then squeeze under an old fridge. The badger loses their scent and lets out a vicious growl. She tries again to dig but the trash is far too compressed at this depth, so finally she gives up and heads back to the entrance of her sett, sits down and scowls up at the sun. Uphrasia and Konrad emerge near the very top of the mound. They pause, catch their breath and look back across the plain. Tray arrives at the base of the mound and hops into the same hole just in time as the fox snaps her teeth, barely missing his tail as it vanishes inside. The fox looks up; Uphrasia and Konrad look down at her. She starts to climb the mound. Uphrasia scans the mound, looking for refuge. He spots a short length of metal pipe, grabs Konrad by the scruff of the neck and shoves him inside. Then he looks back for Tray who is scrabbling up an old slippery fridge. He jumps off the end and runs, closely followed by the fox. Uphrasia shouts, “Come on rat! Get a move on, she’s right behind you!” The fox slips on the fridge and slides back. She makes her way around it and clambers over the garbage. Uphrasia looks down the slope, the badger pops its head up over her sett, looks up at him and snarls. Suddenly Uphrasia looks focussed, he backs into the pipe and beckons Tray, who makes it just in the nick of time.

“Phew! I thought I was a goner then!” He puffs and huffs at the end of the pipe. Snap! The jaws of the fox dart into the pipe and snatch Tray out and with a shrill squeak he’s gone!

Uphrasia and Konrad move to the middle of the pipe. The fox’s eye peers in at them and she growls! Then she vanishes and re-appears at the other end. She tries to get her head in to reach them but the pipe is too narrow. She barks and growls then tries to get at them with her front paws! “Rock the pipe Konrad!” Uphrasia yells. “Come on!” They both put their paws against the inside of the pipe and rock back and forth. Outside, the fox leaps about around the pipe, hopping over it and then back again and barking and yelping. The pipe rocks, then it tips slowly forward, pauses for a moment, then rolls forward and down the slope gathering speed. The fox gives chase, biting the pipe and clawing at it with her paws. The pipe rolls faster and faster down the steep mound, bouncing and tumbling! The rats spin round and round inside.

Konrad wails. “Ah! I feel dizzy.”

“Hang on! Brace yourself!” They stretch and grip the inside of the pipe.

The pipe bounces off a wooden crate and spins through the air then lands just above the badger’s sett and races down the last twenty feet. Just at the moment when the badger pops up her head to see what the commotion is. The pipe hits her squarely in the face knocking her onto her back. The pipe rolls on out across the flat plain. The fox skids down the last few feet, hops over the sett and lands directly on top of the badger. There is a loud roar followed by a yelp! Uphrasia and Konrad pop their heads out of each end of the pipe just in time to see the sandy-red back legs of the fox disappearing over the soil mound and sliding down inside the dark badger’s sett.

The two stumble out of the pipe and try walking but they are so dizzy they keep falling over. They lean on each other until they get back their balance. “I think I’m going to throw up.” Konrad moans then takes a step forward and falls over again. Uphrasia helps him up. “Ta!”

“Welcome. Let’s get some rest and after a nap we can move on.”

They make their way around the badger’s sett, giving it a wide berth, then climb back up the trash mountain, huddle together exhausted under the rocking horse, close their eyes and fall asleep to the sound of the kite flapping in the breeze.

The wind is blowing hard by the time Scout reaches the tyre dump and the sun is already low in the sky. He reaches the base of the tyres where the feint tracks end and sniffs around. He notices a patch of sandy-coloured fur poking out of the dusty soil. He clears enough away to recognise the body of the Zucker rat buried by the fox. “Poor fellow.” He climbs up the steep pile of tyres and sits on the top contemplating his next move. After some deep thought, he sighs. “If I stay here I will miss the launch window. If I march through the night, I may get eaten by a predator.” He starts to climb down the other side of the mound and soon picks up the tracks, some heading south and others north. He shakes his head, then marches directly west towards the setting sun. Then he starts to run, kicking up clouds of black dust. For a good three hours Scout makes his way across the dusty plain; talking to himself and convincing himself that the space port will be just over the next rise. A steep sand dune stands before him and he struggles up it until he reaches the top, weary and out of breath. From here he can see the faint glow of the space port in the far west. In the valley below him is a small water hole with a few scruffy shrubs around it. “What luck?!” Scout sets off down the steep dune and starts to roll head over heels. He lands at the bottom and steadies himself. Here and there are tufts of tall grass. He sniffs the air but there is no hint of a scent. He makes his way through the grass towards the pool. Two of the tufts of grass move behind him. He stops in his tracks and looks back. The grass is still; not a sound. He hops forward and crouches down at the edge of the pool and takes a thirsty drink. The tufts of grass move slowly and silently up behind him.

Uphrasia shakes Konrad by the shoulders. “Wake up Konrad, we’ve slept too long, it’s getting dark! We just have to get close enough to see the lights of the space port before the sun sets. Otherwise we’re lost.”

Konrad wipes his face with his arm and takes a big breath. “Alright, I’m awake. But I want to lodge formal notice that this is the last time I do any rushing about for a long, long time. OK? A long time!”

“Formal notice logged and understood.”

Uphrasia looks to the west. “We’re too far south so we need to head northwest or we’ll miss the space port completely.” He hears a flapping sound and looks up and sees the red kite darting about on the wind. “Maybe we can get a little help with that.” They rummage around in the garbage until Konrad finds the end of an old skateboard and tugs it free. He spins the wheels and the bearings are good. Uphrasia unties the kite, hauls it in and carries it down to the plain. He ties the strings to each of his wrists.

Konrad lashes Uphrasia’s feet to the skateboard with some old rope, then he takes the kite out onto the plain and holds it up. “Ready?!”

Uphrasia lowers his head and braces himself. “Ready!” Konrad releases the kite and it falls to the ground. He picks it up again and holds it up as high as he can.

“Wait for a gust of wind!” Uphrasia yells impatiently.

Konrad waits, nothing happens, he sweats and huffs. Where is the wind? He steps to the left, then back to the right. Then the whiskers on his face blow back. He jumps up into the air and let’s go of the kite. It rises rapidly, the edges vibrating in the strong breeze. Uphrasia feels a jolt and leans back, taking up the strain on the string. He lurches forward slowly, just a few inches. “I don’t know if this will work Konrad!” Then he is tugged forward and the skateboard lifts up into the air, lands with a thud and races across the plain. Uphrasia steers, tilting the skateboard right and tugging on the right string of the kite to head northwest. The kite tilts and darts across the sky. Konrad starts to run to the left to intercept him. As Uphrasia bolts along, Konrad leaps and lands on the front of the skateboard. He holds on tight, lowering his head and closing his eyes as dust flies up into his face. The kite pulls them along faster and faster. They rise up a steep slope, jump over the top and fly through the air. “Ah...!” They land on the plain with a bump and shoot onwards, leaving a wake of dust and sand.

Scout lifts his head up and swallows the fresh water. “Ah!” Then two pairs of paws grab him by the shoulders, lift him up and turn him around to face two angry-looking ferrets! They have bright yellow grubby fur and large red eyes. One of them is a male and taller than the female. The male growls at him and sniffs his face, the female licks his fur then they lay him down, take his back legs and drag him through the grassy clumps towards a small dark hole in the side of the sand dune. Scout wriggles and squirms. “Please wait! I didn’t mean to st-steal your water. Rats are rotten to eat I pro-promise you!” They drag him closer and closer to the dark hole. There is a loud flap above their heads and they look up to see the bright red kite shoot over them. They look at each other confused, then back up.

The skateboard slams right in between them sending them flying apart and they land stunned on the ground. Scout rolls onto his feet and sees Uphrasia and Konrad look back as they zoom across the water hole with a plume of surf, shouting together, “Sorry!”

Scout hops up, looks left and right and runs as fast as he can after them. He skirts around the pool and runs towards the distant glow in the west. After a good hour walking, Scout stops to catch his breath and looks up to see the bright shining floodlights of the space port no more than a mile away. If a predator came for him now he could not put up a fight. If he can just make it to the space port in time. He soldiers onwards, head down, still convincing himself to keep going. “Come on Scout. You can do this, just a few thousand rat paws to go.” He stumbles and falls onto his face and puffs out blowing sand and dust up into the night air. “Just a few more…”