Outlanders

**"Outlanders"**is the third episode of *Contact* and the 38th episode overall.

The episode was published on January 1, 2020.

In the episode, as Toontown celebrates the Christmas holiday, the Cog threat still looms. The Toon Council is petitioned about the Cartonians, who remain incarcerated as a precaution.

## The Episode

---Chipper Acres---

Alice Carver saw something, over by the stream. She glided across the verdant fields of Chipper Acres, the tall grass tickling the bottoms of her fingers as she walked. The air was light and full of savory smells. The wooden cabin in the center of the clearing was quiet, and she hardly registered it was there. She was too focused on what was down by the riverbed. A tight feeling of despair was in her stomach, but she couldn’t figure out why.

The water was clear, and when Alice bent down to look into the river, she could see the soil underneath, and the mud, and the rocks, and…

A flipper shot out of the water and grabbed her by the neck. She fell backward, onto the grass. The figure stood over her, and the sun illuminated his face.

It was him.

Dr. Adam Molecule.

The Creator of the Cogs, and her kidnapper. The memories of her captivity came rushing back. Molecule was sopping wet, but as the water dripped onto her, she smelled blood. Molecule kept his flippers around her throat. He leaned down, and Alice could see into his empty chest cavity where she carved out his heart.

“Hello, Alice dear,” Molecule whispered in her ear. “Remember when we played?”

Alice screamed and shot upward. The lights in the bedroom immediately switched on, and Bradley was beside her. His voice swamped her eardrums, but she could hardly hear what he was saying. Everything was swimming.

Alice fell backward, and her head hit the pillow. Bradley was lifting her up, calling to her.

“ALICE!”

“He’s back,” she gasped. “Molecule’s back.”

As the words escaped her, she realized it was a dream. It was just a dream. A nightmare, but it wasn’t real. His heart was gone, torn from his chest by her own paws. He could never harm her again, and his body was destroyed.

“Alice…” Bradley said tenderly. Alice leaned against his shoulder and calmed herself down. She told him about the dream, and he listened silently.

“That’s horrifying.”

She remembered the cabin, the bunker, the years of torment and misery. A stolen life. Two stolen lives.

“I would have died if it weren’t for you,” Alice whispered. Bradley took her paw and held it close.

“Me too.”

“I want to get married,” she blurted. The thought had been lingering in her mind for months, ever since they reemerged in Toon society. They no longer had anything to hide from. The Cogs were nearly defeated for good, and she could foresee a life of happiness with Bradley, even if there was a fox among them. For Alice, the Cogs were a threat far superior than the tale of the foxes in the north. Those were just stories, and stories did not harm her the way the Cogs had. The way Molecule had.

“I want to get married too,” Bradley whispered.

Alice smiled. The horror of her nightmare slowly washed away, her laff restored by the love of her life.

---Polar Place---

--Three Weeks Later--

-Christmas Eve-

Eileen pulled her coat around her and let out a sigh, causing her breath to swirl in the cold air. Kilo and Hyla were beside her, all three staring at the closed tunnel connecting the Brrrgh to Lawbot Headquarters. It was not the best way to spend Christmas Eve, plotting against the Cogs, but it wasn’t like she had any family to go home to. The Cogs had killed them.

Three weeks had passed since the Cartonian ship rolled into port, and the Toons had chosen to set that issue aside temporarily in order to focus on destroying the Cogs for good. Toontown was enjoying a period of Cogless bliss, in which the streets were devoid of Cog buildings and bare of any Cogs. Sellbot HQ had begun to sink into the swamplands on which it was built, and fires were consuming the Factory. The tunnels beneath the Bay of Toontown were obliterated with the collapse of the crag, and no goods could be ferried between the former HQs. Flippy said the tunnels had been flooded, and even the link between Cashbot HQ and Lawbot HQ was broken.

The two factions, led by Flippy and the Lawbot District Attorney, remained divided and Flippy was working hard to ensure it stayed that way. The isolated sects would be far simpler to defeat than if they were united. Flippy was distracting the Cashbots, leading them in fruitless circles, leaving the Lawbots the only verifiable Cog threat at the moment.

Through Flippy’s frequent updates, Eileen learned that the Cashbot Headquarters tunnel to Pajama Place was left open, while the District Attorney closed the Lawbot entrance in order to allow the Cogs sufficient time to recuperate. One of the Lawbot Towers had collapsed, and so only the one on the right was still visible from Polar Place. Teleportation into Cog Headquarters was always dangerous and at times impossible, and now was no exception. Toons were unable to access the Lawbot Tower. And if they weren’t seen or heard from, not even by their Cashbot counterparts, then they were plotting.

The Cogs would not just roll over and die. They would fight until the end for the world they believed they had been born to conquer. They were foxes, after all. Or robotic incarnations of the Vulpus foxes.

Blair Fawkes, the legitimate bonafide fox imprisoned in the Docks. What was *she* plotting?

*Never trust a fox*.

The Diary Pig wouldn’t repeat that phrase throughout her record if it wasn’t advice worth heeding.

“The Lawbots will likely conduct mass building takeovers,” Hyla said, breaking the silence. “That’s their specialty. The Brrrgh, especially Polar Place, has always had a strong Lawbot presence.”

“Not always,” Eileen muttered, mostly to herself, picturing the neighborhood before the Cogs. She had taken Irene and Constantine skiing here. Paul once rented a cabin for a romantic getaway. One of the neighbors had watched over the kids. None of them were alive now, except Eileen.

“Since buildings are being targeted,” Kilo said, “we need to prevent them from takeovers. The Cogs have gotten better at dropping their monstrosities on top of our buildings. But Hyla and I are developing something that would make a takeover impossible.”

“How will it work?” Eileen asked. Kilo shook his head.

“We’re still in beginning stages. But we’ll keep you updated.”

Eileen nodded.

“How long until it’s ready?”

Kilo and Hyla looked at each other, neither knowing the answer. “Ballpark estimate?” Eileen offered.

“A month?”

“Or two?”

Eileen’s heart sank. That was enough time for the Lawbots to reemerge.

In the Playground, carolers began singing. Toons across the street exited the shop and hastened toward the noise. Kilo and Hyla joined hands.

“Let’s go listen. Eileen?”

“No, thank you,” Eileen said weakly. “I…I have something to get to.”

They all knew she was lying. Not even the Toon Council was working this night. It was Christmas Eve, after all. But this holiday was different for Eileen now. Once Kilo and Hyla left, she teleported back to her home on Oak Street.

This was the first Christmas since the Toons returned from Exodus. Nearly a full year had passed since their return, and it was easily the most eventful year in Toontown’s history. The three years of exile in Fantasyland were spent deprived of their Toon memories, and so Eileen had been blissfully unaware that she had lost a family back in her hometown. Her three Christmases there had been peaceful. She had celebrated with friends. Old friends. Friends that she didn’t even talk to here in Toontown. It was a fake life, and the memories hardly stood out.

Eileen sunk onto her couch and lit a fire in the fireplace. Irene and Constantine used to sprawl out in front of the fireplace on Christmas Eve and wait for Santa Claws. She and Paul had to wait for hours until they finally conked out so she could slip out and put the presents underneath the tree. One Christmas Eve, Irene and Constantine asked about the War, and the Christmas that launched it. She was up with them until 2 or 3 in the morning going through the Diary of War.

The Diary was still on her bookshelf, and she retrieved it. She flipped to the halfway point, when the Diary Pig decided she wanted to use her Diary to educate future generations on the perils of War. Here she detailed the prelude to the War, and the kiss between Crown Prince Bentley Connelly and Princess Victoria Vixen. The kiss that sealed the fate of Cartonia.

---Toon Hall---

-Two Days After Christmas-

“I call this session of the Toon Council to order,” Constance said ceremonially, sliding into her chair. The six Councilmembers sat around the table, as well as Aleck Harding, Eileen Irenic, and Susan Fletcher. Only the six Councilmembers had voting power, with Constance serving as a tiebreaker if necessary. But it was important for the Toon Patrol to know what was going on, and equally important for the Toon Resistance.

Since the Council had been on hiatus for a little over a week, Constance read over the last agenda and opened the table up to debate on a few issues. The new Council worked well together, and was leaps and bounds better than the apathetic bunch that had preceded them. Even Ichabod Irving from Dreamland had cleaned up his act. Somewhat frustratingly, it seemed it was the fox that had broken him from his stupor, and not the Cogs.

“Next up,” Constance said, her face twitching, “is a petition from the Gardens. The Toons Against Violence group has gathered enough signatures on their petition to have it considered before the Council.”

“Toons Against Violence…” Barnacle Barbara murmured, “aren’t they the ones that oppose Cog fighting because it’s untoon?”

“Ugh,” Mulaney Chortle from the Gardens groaned, “yes.”

“What do they want?” Doe Clark asked with a sigh.

“What does the petition say?” Eileen clarified.

Constance cleared her throat.

“We the signers of this petition to the Toon Council ask that the five non-fox Cartonian arrivals be released from prison and put in a rehabilitative house arrest program with sponsorship with the long-term goal of assimilating them into Toon society.”

Barnacle Barbara stood up so quickly she knocked over her chair.

“*What*?!”

“That seems extremely unsafe,” Vidalia chimed in.

“And rash,” Susan said.

“Not to mention *stupid*,” Aleck muttered.

Constance elaborated from the enclosed documents that the petition was to prevent long-term imprisonment, which was currently the elected strategy. It was contingent upon approval from all six deputies and a unanimous vote from the Toon Council.

“There’s a note here at the bottom from Deputy Wiggle McDiggle that Jerockle Padraic—that’s the chicken—has refused to entertain the idea of release without Blair Fawkes—that’s the fox.”

“That’s weird,” Slate Oldman commented.

“Yeah, he doesn’t want freedom?” Vidalia posited. “Why do they all love the fox so much? It’s like they worship the ground she walks on.”

“She’s their savior,” Susan mumbled.

“What do we think?” Constance asked, opening the table to debate. It was evident that no one was on board with it, though the suggestion was not necessarily a bad one. A long-term assimilation plan would prevent a messy execution and would give the imprisoned something to look forward to. They hadn’t received any new information since they arrived, and were all probably regretting stepping foot in town. Maybe they’d turn on the fox for that.

They talked about what a house arrest program would look like, and who would be willing to take one of the Cartonians into their home.

“Well,” Constance said after a solid half-hour of debate, “let’s put it to a vote. Remember, it must be unanimous. All those in favor of adopting this petition and releasing the imprisoned to a house arrest status?”

Ichabod Irving was the only to raise his hoof.

“Those against?”

Mulaney Chortle, Barnacle Barbara, Vidalia VaVoom, Doe Clark, and Slate Oldman raised their paws.

“I’ll defend my vote,” Ichabod said. “For one, I knew I was going to stand alone, and I wanted the record to show that we will take this petition seriously. I believe that keeping the Cartonians imprisoned will ultimately be a cost too great for us to continue to manage. Therefore we must put the Cartonians on a pathway to citizenship in Toontown. They are here, whether we like it or not.”

“We don’t like it,” Barbara scowled. “Make sure *that* gets on the record too.”

“How about this?” Constance said. “We table the motion until the Cogs are defeated.”

“Done,” Vidalia said. “I second that.”

“Agreed,” Eileen said, even though she didn’t have voting power.

“Excellent,” Constance said with a nod. “We will not discuss release of the Cartonians until the Cog threat has been eliminated. Aleck, please inform your Deputies that the Cartonians are to be told that Toontown is preoccupied with other matters to concern itself with their long-term fate in this town. They will be updated once the Cogs are destroyed.”

Aleck scribbled down the instructions.

“Roger roger.”

---The Brrrgh---

Deputy Paul Pickaxe delivered another boxed lunch to his prisoner, the duck named Evelyn Quin. Every time he saw her in the cell, her fur a stark black, it gave him chills. Black ducks were unheard of, until now. Evelyn took the lunch without a word. Gone were the thank yous that had once accompanied each of his visits. The Cartonians were getting restless.

Back in his office, Paul was surprised to find Slate Oldman leaning against the wall. The elderly rabbit bowed his head in greeting.

“Good to see you, Paul. Did you have a merry Christmas?”

“Uh,” Paul said, “yes. My sister made a delicious kibble casserole. How about yourself?”

“It was alright,” Slate sighed, kicking back from the wall and moving into one of the chairs opposite Paul’s desk. Paul sat at his own chair, wondering why the Blizzard Wizard dropped by all of the a sudden.

“Is there something I can help you with, Slate?”

Slate coughed, and Paul swore he saw a snowflake drift out of his mouth.

“I wanted to speak with Evelyn, if that’s alright. With full candor, the focus is tackling the Cogs, but I am still weary of these new arrivals. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Evelyn has barely spoken since we interrogated her on the day after she came.”

“You are correct,” Paul said. “She doesn’t speak at all anymore.”

“Isn’t that strange?” Slate asked, leaning forward. “Wouldn’t someone all alone for such an extended period of time need some social interaction? More than just seeing a face deliver food.”

“I suppose,” Paul agreed. “Cartonians have evolved differently than we have. Maybe they’re used to isolation.”

“I don’t know,” Slate said, crossing his legs. “But I’m suspicious. I just wanted to have a quick word.”

“She’s having lunch now,” Paul reported, “but you can head down there at any time. There’s something dark about her.”

Slate smirked.

“Besides her fur color?”

Paul did not respond. Slate found his way to the cell on his own, and arrived just as Evelyn was finishing her lunch. The box was on the shelf in the middle of the cell door. She eyed Slate carefully as he approached.

“Good afternoon. Do you remember me?”

Evelyn only stared. “My name is Slate Oldman. I’m the Councilmember from the Brrrgh. Sometimes I’m known as the Leader of the Brrrgh. That’s what this neighborhood in Toontown is called: the Brrrgh.”

Evelyn shivered.

“Is that why it’s so cold?” she asked.

“Precisely,” Slate said, smiling. “I quite like it. Although I usually find everywhere a bit toasty.”

Evelyn was sitting on the cell floor, her back against the cot. A glass of water was between her legs. There was a window at the very top of the cell, a narrow slit to let light in, but it was frosted over. Slate decided to match her position and sat on the floor before the bars.

“What are you hoping to achieve here in Toontown?” Slate asked. Evelyn sighed.

“We just want freedom. We’d be dead if not for Blair. Being imprisoned is awful but at least we’re alive.”

“Everyone seems to adore Blair Fawkes,” Slate noted. “But not everyone seems to adore foxes. How is she different?”

Evelyn was quiet for a minute. Slate patiently waited for her reply.

“Foxes are evil,” she whispered. “They’re…bloodthirsty. Too cunning for anyone else to beat them. They’re our lords and masters, the head of the Empire. Until they’re not. Until they’re driven out. Blair was probably one of the loyal ones, but a warrant was put out for her arrest.”

“Why?”

“She said she was investigating corruption at the Vale of Vulpus, and foxes high in the government caught on to her. They wanted to silence her. She fled. Cale and I—we’re sisters, you know—dreamed, *longed* to leave Cartonia. But how could we? Ducks aren’t real people. We’re just numbers, cogs in the big machine.”

Slate jumped at the mention of “Cog,” though she would not know the significance.

“Blair was able to get us all into the seaport, and onto the ship. She carried all the power, since she was a fox. No one would dare defy one. She could have left alone, she could have disregarded us. But she took us with her. We made it out because of her. She saved all of our lives, so of course we adore her. She’s my hero.”

“Hmm,” Slate said skeptically. “Are you sure she didn’t take you because she needed you for something?”

Evelyn didn’t move. “What could she have needed me for? I’m just a duck. A widowed duck with no skills. My husband had just been murdered, and the foxes had not yet found me a physical labor camp to die in. Cale and I fled to the coast. We were prepared to swim if we had to.”

“I’m sorry about your husband,” Slate said empathetically, “how long were you married?”

“Not long,” Evelyn sighed. “Two years.”

“Cale said he was murdered by the Vulpus government for treason. What did he do?”

Evelyn flinched. She just shook her head.

“Please don’t make me talk about him.”

Slate did not pry.

“I’m afraid,” he said instead, “that your incarceration will continue for a while longer. There are currently no plans to release you or your friends. Especially not Blair.”

Evelyn deflated.

“Oh…”

“There are whispers of you six being here with malicious intent.”

Evelyn choked down a sob, and her water glass moved. But she didn’t touch it. Slate watched it, but it must have been a mistake of his old eyesight. How could it move on its own?

Unless…

Slate wrapped his paw around one of the bars, and stared at Evelyn. She lowered her eyebrows in concern, avoiding his gaze. He activated his ice powers, and frost shot up the bar. Evelyn leapt back in fright, and the water in her glass skyrocketed. Slate watched in amazement as the water danced in the air before falling to the ground. Evelyn realized her mistake.

She was a BioFreak. She could control water. *That’s* how the ship made it through the storms on the east of the continent. Evelyn bent the water to her will, and parted the storms, allowing their ship to sail through.

But Tick Hunter, the deer, and Blair Fawkes said the ship sailed directly through the storms, and that luck alone saved them.

“You’re a BioFreak too,” Slate said breathlessly. Evelyn began to cry, which surprised Slate. But he could see now she was genuinely frightened, perhaps of herself.

“Don’t tell anyone,” she gasped. “No one…they’ll kill me.”

Slate remembered his father and grandfather warning him of his gifts, and how Toons may accept it, but Cartonians would never. The BioFreaks, products of gruesome experiments by the wicked deer of Cervidium, were branded as monsters. The ability to control various aspects of life, like how Slate could manipulate snow and Dr. Drema Yawn and her daughter could induce sleep, were side affects of the main Cervidian experiments. They tried to perfect time travel, and interdimensional portals. They wanted to control minds, and create new worlds. Immortality was another fruitless quest.

“We won’t kill you for your gift,” Slate said, emphasizing the word “gift.” “I am a BioFreak too, and there is one other here. You’re not alone. Your sister, Cale, does she have the power too?”

Evelyn froze, but eventually nodded.

“Tick told us that you all survived the storms by a miracle of luck. He said your ship was nearly destroyed by the hurricanes and cyclones.”

“He’s trying to protect us,” Evelyn uttered. “We weren’t sure how you’d react to us. We didn’t know there’d be BioFreaks here.”

“If not for you and Cale,” Slate said, “could you have braved the storms?”

Evelyn vehemently shook her head.

“Absolutely not. They would have ripped the ship to shreds. All the hurricanes are relentless.”

“Were you followed here?”

“I hope not.”

“Will more come this way?”

“I hope not.”

Slate exhaled.

“I will not tell the others about your gift,” he said finally. “After all, we have three here, but that doesn’t make it the rule. I’m part of the exception.”

Slate stood and smiled at Evelyn.

“In case we didn’t say it before, welcome to Toontown.”

---Melodyland---

Deputy Marshall Ihob had pulled up a stool, and was listening with rapt attention to crocodile Rook James’s tales of Cartonia. Marshall loved stories, and his favorite book was the Diary of War. Kind of a cliche, since everyone had at least some appreciation for the fabled Diary. It just always blew his mind that before Toontown there had been this enormous civilization enjoying seven centuries of peace until they were ripped apart by war. Now, he was able to hear more stories straight from someone who lived in that civilization.

“So Christmas,” Rook continued, gesticulating and drawing diagrams on the wall in chalk, “stopped being a holiday after the War. No one wanted to celebrate it anymore. The day could no longer be associated with family and love, but rather the sorrow and pain from the War. Christmas was the day that triggered the War. Thanks to Victoria Vixen and Bentley Connelly.”

Marshall nodded. Silently, he knew that Victoria and Bentley were the good guys, but Rook didn’t seem to believe that.

“Tell me,” Marshall began, “are species still kept apart up there?”

“Not at all,” Rook said, “the borders were eliminated and we’re all part of the Vulpus Empire.”

“No, no,” Marshall said, shaking his head, “I mean can other species love one another?”

Rook’s eyes bugged.

“Blind me…you mean…like Victoria and Bentley?”

“Yeah,” Marshall said innocently. He was a blue cat but had a yellow dog waiting for him at home. In Cartonia, interspecies love between Felexan cats and Canine dogs was strictly forbidden. But surely…

“Of course not!” Rook yelled. “That’s sacrilege! We stick to our own species, thank you.”

“Ah,” Marshall said, blushing. “Okay.”

The cell block door opened, and Doe Clark entered. She smiled at Marshall.

“Hello! How’s our prisoner?”

“Just fine, thanks,” Rook replied politely, though Doe had directed the question at Marshall. “I’m just telling some stories.”

“Ah,” Doe said, “like what?”

“Oooh!” Marshall squealed, “tell her about the Battle of Leprolia! She’ll love that!”

Doe’s paw lingered over the phone. She made her decision and dialed Eileen’s number.

“Eileen,” Doe said gravely, “I think Marshall is getting too friendly with Rook. I am requesting that we trade him for another, maybe Cale.”

Eileen groaned.

“First, we need to document Marshall for unprofessionalism. He can’t be making best friends with the Cartonians. But yes, we’ll swap Cale and Rook. Deputy Linda Lawla will keep Rook in line. She doesn’t care for fun anecdotes.”

---Toontown Central---

A few days before Christmas, Deputy Wiggle McDiggle finally bent to Jerockle Padraic’s request and brought him a book from the library. It was a work of fiction set in a far-off land that barely resembled Toontown and certainly not Cartonia. Wiggle herself read it beforehand to make sure he wouldn’t glean any information about their town from it. She tore out the author’s acknowledgments and biography at the back, and personally paid for the book at the library.

Jerockle finished it the same day.

“Deputy McDiggle,” he clucked, ever so cordial, “may I have a book about Toontown this time?”

“Of course not,” Wiggle snapped, taking his boxed lunch away.

“Why?” he gobbled innocently.

“Because,” Wiggle sighed, “I don’t trust you.”

---The Docks---

Constance sat with Blair Fawkes, who appeared to more grateful for company than skeptical for the reason.

“I have something I wanted to read to you,” Constance said, removing a passage from her pocket. “Because I’m sure you’re wondering why you have been treated the way you have.”

“Okay,” Blair said in that posh accent. Constance unfolded the Edict and began to read.

“As one of the first species of Creation and the first in Cartonia, it is known and validated as fact that the Skulk of Foxes is the most superior and intelligent of all the species. It is wise and therefore recommended that all other species submit themselves to the foxes as faithful servants. The Kingdom of Vulpus will stretch from the Vixen Cliffs to the Pinnacle Ice Sheet. The Kingdom of Vulpus rejects any leader of the Kingdoms that align themselves with the Granite Bloc and only recognizes the Vixen Queen as proper head. All other Kingdoms are moot and their leaders mere figureheads. The foxes will emerge supreme, the foxes will rise over the ashes of War, and the foxes will reign Cartonia from this day until the end of days. It is so delivered.”

Constance smiled at Blair, and watched as the fox swallowed hard.

“I…who wrote that?” she managed.

“Probably the Vixen Queen. Queen Vixen the…Seventh I think. But that was an Edict from the War. This is what we perceive foxes to be. Ruthless, evil, power-hungry, superior conquerors. Nothing good can come of them, and all foxes think the same. Our ancestors escaped this tyranny and made a haven here. We will not submit ourselves to the foxes as faithful servants, and we will not let the Empire of Vulpus reach this part of the continent. The War may be over, it may be won, but the Granite Bloc lives on in us, and no fox will ever rule over Toontown. Persuade me otherwise.”

Blair was silent, and completely still.

“I don’t know what you want me to say…” she whispered.

“I don’t know either,” Constance admitted. “But I do know that I cannot trust you, and neither can anyone else in this town. We are beginning to think about releasing the other five into society, and start an assimilation program. But not for you. We can’t be sure you’ll behave. We still don’t know why you’re here.”

“We’re here for the same reason you came here!” Blair hissed. “We just want freedom!”

“Yeah? Well, I think that’s bullshit.”

Blair gasped.

“Why won’t you believe us?”

“Because,” Constance sneered, “you have given us no reason to. We have no idea what it’s like up there. Everything you told us could have been a lie. We’ve had centuries to speculate on what had become of our old home, and we’ve had decades to imagine what first contact would look like, but no one pictured this. Refugees? No, that’s too easy. You want something else here. We just have to figure out what.”

Blair sobbed. Constance’s brutal honestly was too much for her.

“I’m not evil,” she gasped between her tears. “I overcame the darkness. I saved the others! Leave me here if you must, but don’t hurt them!”

“No one said anything about hurting any of you,” Constance grumbled. Blair crossed her arms.

“That yellow cat said she’d gut me.”

“Barnacle Barbara?” Constance said wistfully, “oh, she’s absolutely right about that. She can cut up a fish in seconds.”

Blair was openmouthed.

“Here’s the deal,” Constance said. “Until we have reason to believe you are not inherently evil, you will remain here. The others may be more fortunate and see an earlier release, but not you. We are a *very* accepting town. Species can love each other and raise children together and fulfill Victoria Vixen and Bentley Connelly’s legacy, but we draw the line at foxes. What I just read to you—that’s real to us.”

She stood to go, but Blair stopped her.

“Wait,” she said, “I heard the yellow cat talking about Cogs…what are they?”

Constance laughed.

“They’re you. They’re reincarnations of the foxes.”

—Dr. Tom Foolery’s Office, Silly Street---

Pete held Ash’s paw, and tried to rouse him by whispering in his ear, but his son remained catatonic. Pete held in his other paw a photograph of him with his wife and son. Laura Ingalls, before she was killed in the Final Battle. Before she sacrificed herself to save her husband.

In his mind, he replayed the moment over and over of Ash ripping off his head, killing the Chairman for good.

Would he ever be the same again?

Night had fallen. The Toons were asleep, and the jail cells were quiet. Not one work was spoken aloud by the six Cartonians. But they were not alone, nor were they silent. They were never alone, and they were never silent.

They kept each other sane and focused by maintaining between them a flurry of whispers.

## Production

### Continuity and Story Arcs

The episode opened with a nightmare in which Alice Carver encountered Dr. Molecule. This marks his first appearance, albeit nominally, since the first season.

Alice’s nightmare triggers her to tell Bradley of her desire to get married.

A motion is brought before the Toon Council to release the five non-fox Cartonians to a house arrest program with the intent of eventual citizenship. The motion is voted down 5-1, and tabled until after the Cogs are defeated.

Slate questions Evelyn, who speaks briefly about her husband who was murdered by the Vulpus government. Through this conversation, Slate learns Evelyn and Cale are BioFreaks who can control water. This explains how they managed to break through the rampant hurricane and cyclones east of the continent.

In the three centuries since Toontown’s settlement, interspecies relationships are still forbidden in Cartonia.

Due to Rook James and Deputy Marshall Ihob getting too friendly, Rook was moved to Dreamland and Cale Metfin was sent to Melodyland.

One of the Edicts from the Foxes, first transcribed in “Edicts of War” was read to Blair Fawkes.

### References

Alice’s mention of “a stolen life” is a reference to a book published by long-term kidnapping victim Jaycee Dugard.

Eileen makes an internal reference to the events of “Silent Night,” in which she recounted the causes of the War to her young children.

## Trivia

* The title of this episode is derived from the title of the book series "Outlander," and refers to the Cartonians being outlanders in Toontown.
* The Toons Against Violence group is modeled after the peaceful protestors who opposed the Vietnam War in the 1970s.
* The wicked experiments conducted by the Cervidian deer are inspired by the insane scientific ambitions of the Nazi Reich.
* After the events of “Silent Night,” Cartonia abolished the Christmas holiday, which in this story is secular in nature.
* This is the second episode not to feature the Cogs as part of the cast (excluding "Silent Night") after "Voice to the Chorus."