Chapter 10 – Journey to the Center of a Girl

The transport pod arrives at the village and I exit it.
“Computer, you may retrieve the transport pods and relocate the containment unit housing the remaining souls ready for reconstitution and the repair assistance vehicle to this location.”
“Retrieving transport pods and relocating requested items as requested, master.”
“Leader, welcome back.”
“Oh, Mr. Ninety you’re back.”
“Indeed, I have returned. How is your progress?”
“We just finished up the tunic and blankets. We should have more than enough. I used the other village as an idea on how many to make.”
“Understood. I will begin the process shortly. Are you ready to proceed?”
“Yeah but, where’s my scooter?”
“You can use this extra repair assistance vehicle. You should be able to configure it to hold the supplies and Fenris. Just think of the adjustments you would like to make and it will form from your mind eye like the scooter.”
“O…okay, let me try.”
Ástríðr goes over to the encampment mode and places her hand on it.
The Encampment mode forms into the repair assistance vehicle mode but slightly longer and thinner.
On each of the side of the repair assistance vehicle is a large squarish container presumably to hold the supplies.
“I did it! It looks way different than yours though.”
“I assume you were accounting for bringing Fenris with you as well as deciding on a way to carry your supplies and thus matter was transferred to other areas.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
“If you are ready, I can have computer begin the reconstitution process.”
“Ready to go, Mr. Ninety.”
“Good, like before I will monitor the beasts of burden and livestock and assist you once I have completed my task.”
“Right, okay, let’s go.”
“Computer, begin reconstitution of remaining spectral forms.”
“Commencing reconstitution process, master.”
Once the process starts, Ástríðr and Fenris enter the first domicile and I mount the repair assistance vehicle and proceed to the stables to observe the livestock.
I arrive at the stables and the first beast has already started its reconstitution process.
It completes its process without incident and then one by one the other beasts complete their reconstitution process.
Once the last beast finishes, I seal off the stable and release a mild sedative to ensued that they will not awake before they are ready to go about their business.
I remount my repair assistance vehicle and return to the village.
Arriving, I notice Ástríðr’s auxiliary transport vessel and park beside it and convert my repair assistance vehicle into encampment mode.
Ástríðr and Fenris exit a nearby domicile and walk towards the auxiliary transport vessel.
“Oh, Mr. Ninety you’re back. How are the animals?”
“They reconstituted without issue. How has your progress been?”
“Thanks to Fenris’ help it’s much quicker than before.”
“That is good to hear. I will be able to assist you the rest of the way.”
We take our supplies from Ástríðr’s auxiliary transport vessel and locate the domiciles with the lights illuminated stating the reconstitution process has started inside.
Ástríðr and Fenris go inside as I enter the other.
Once inside the first Midengardian has already completed its reconstitution process and the second one has already started.
I proceed to unfurl the blanket and place it on the first Midengardian and then proceed to do the same with the second Midengardian.
With the two Midengardians covered I place their tunic on top of the blanket close to their feet and exit the domicile.
I along with Ástríðr and Fenris continue the process until we finish just before sunset.
“Whew! Finally finished.” Ástríðr exclaims.
“You both performed admirably. I thank you for your assistance.”
“You are welcome, leader.”
“Now as we wait for the Midengardians to awaken, I would like to perform my long overdue examination on you Fenris.”
“O…okay, leader.”
“I guess there’s not much more for me to do but keep an eye out for the people to wake up and make their way outside. Do you need me to help you at all?”
“I will not require your immediate assistance. If you could see that I will not be disturbed while I am utilizing the dual brainwave synchronizer. I will let you know when I am finished.”
“Wasn’t that the thing you used on me when I was all crazy?”
“It is the device I used to commune with your spectral forms to mediate your internal conflict.”
“Yeah, it was a big help. Thanks for that.”
“It was just another task on my way to completing my missions. You were an anomaly that needed to be investigated much like Fenris here.”
“Is something wrong with me, leader?”
“No, no, Fenris. You’re a good girl. Mr. Ninety just needs to see why you haven’t gotten your memories back.”
“Yes, it is a quandary as to why you have not done so already. You also are not exhibiting the same progression the other wolf-people are.”
“I’m a wolf not a person, leader.”
“Even so your anomalous nature requires farther investigation. Now if you will follow me to this vacant domicile.”
“O..okay, leader.”
“Take care. Don’t worry about me. I’ll keep an eye on everything, read a book and have a drink.”
I escort Fenris to the empty domicile and we enter.
“Fenris, please lay down on the bedding.”
“Yes, leader.”
Fenris climbs up onto the bedding and lays down.
“Computer, seal the bedding in front of me and introduce a sedative.”
“Command confirmed, master.”
“Computer, attach a brainwave monitor and ready a corresponding brainwave monitor for me as well.”
“Connecting dual brainwave monitors, master.”
A mask like device exits the top of the sleep chamber and covers her forehead and eyes.
An identical device is ejected from the side of the sleep chamber.
I retract my helmet and place the brainwave monitor to my forehead and eyes.
“Computer, begin brainwave synchronization.”
“Synchronization commencing, maste…”
As computer’s confirmation finishes, my consciousness slips and I see a white light.
Once the light fades away, I find myself in a forest.
I begin looking around the area to see where Fenris might be.
Nearby I see a small pack of wolves.
It looks like a mother with four cubs.
One of the cubs steps away from the pack a little and it looks at me.
“Leader, it’s me. Come and meet my mother and siblings.”
I start to walk slowly and nonthreateningly towards the wolves.
“I see. So, your last memories are being with your family.”
“Yes leader. This is my mother and my two sisters and my brother. We don’t have names we just know each other by our scents.”
Once I reach the wolves, I bend down and offer my hand to them.
“It’s a pleasure to meet the family of Fenris.”
“I hear you have been looking after my surviving daughter for me. Thank you.” The mother wolf replies as Fenris walks back to her siblings.
“It is an honor. But I do have questions to ask you, if you don’t mind.”
“I will do my best if it is possible to give you an answer.”
“Thank you. Is this the last days of the memories you all have? I assume that in addition to Fenris’ own memories that she may have inherited some from you and her siblings.”
“Indeed, it would seem that I am a fragment of my original self, taking root in my daughter.”
“Interesting. Might I ask if you had any encounters with any people during the last days?”
“I nor my children did not see any other life here but the other animals here in the forest.”
“I see. It seems I will need to ask more questions if that is, okay?”
“As I am just a fragment it may be better to continue your questions with my daughter.”
“I see. Thank you for your help.”
The mother goes back to the four cubs and begins interacting with them.
She pushes Fenris out of the group and towards me.
Fenris walks up to me.
“Was mother helpful to you?”
“She was indeed, but she only had so much information since she is only a fragment of her former self.”
“I see. Thank you for speaking to though.”
“Well, she didn’t have all the answers but you might.”
“I don’t know much but if you think so I’ll trust you, leader.”
“We can start with the question I was going to ask your mother. What do you remember from the last day?”
“It was a day just like today.”
“What else do you remember?”
“There was big balls of fire that went high in the sky and kept going until they disappeared.”
“Hmm, that was likely the Midengardians fleeing. What happened after that?”
“I remember looking at the balls of fire and when they disappeared, I looked at the great tree and saw it turning brown and then different types of grey.”
“I see. So, the Raganrog arrived on Midheim just after the Midengardians fled. Sorry for interrupting, please continue.”
“Well, I don’t remember much after that except something a loud sound coming toward the forest and then a really big light.”
“That must have been the Polaris device reclaiming the remaining souls that weren’t able to escape. What do you remember when you were a part of Fenrir?”
“My next memory was hearing a voice.”
The forest disappears and replaced with nothing but darkness and then a voice breaks the silence.
“Kraken, you will start your assault once Fenrir arrives on Midheim so that the village will be left unguarded.”
“I understand master. I will not fail you.”
“Good. You both may leave.”
Light begins to fill the area and we are able to see the outside area as if we are looking through Fenrir’s eyes.
It looks like the interior of a facility of some sort.
The metallic walls pass by us as I see Kraken in some sort of transport container filled with water.
We arrive at a large rectangular elevated area that we go on top of.
A voice that I do not recognize speaks but am we are not able to see the speaker.
“Your pack has already arrived at your destination.”
The voice of Fenrir booms around us inside.
“I understand and am ready.”
A large metallic enclosure comes up around us and in a short time we are on continent Midheim then the enclosure returns.
“Thank you Fenris, I think know what happens from here. My only question remaining is why your appearance changed.”
“I don’t know, leader. I just know that after you started fighting us I could…feel and hear other voices.”
Once Fenris finishes speaking the area around us begins to be populated with those that resemble the wolf-people but without the wolf-like features.
So, just the Midengardians from one of the Tornado of Souls that were somehow taken from somewhere.
No wait, besides the Midengardians there are also many wolves here.
I look outside and witness my fight with Fenrir and see me fire my first shot.
Once the shot lands I see a couple of the Midengardians disappear along with one of the wolves.
The wolves begin to gravitate toward the Midengardians, break apart and melt into them.
“Noooo I don’t want to die! Don’t take me apart!”
“I see. My shot must have disrupted the physical and genetic stability of Fenrir. I do see that you did not split apart and join anyone. I am guessing that your defiance helped you stay together.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Just as Fenris replies she begins to take her current wolf-girl form.
“That is interesting.”
“What?! Why am I like this?”
“My only guess is that the other wolves that broke apart and joined with the Midengardians your defiance made you take in any residual or remnant genetic material, a genetic entanglement if you will.”
Just as I finish my analysis, I see one of my shots hit Fenrir and we are suddenly on the ground outside of Fenrir.
I am standing next to Fenris who is asleep and I have all the answers I need.
“Computer, terminate brainwave synchronization.”
Everything turns white and then dark as I remove my brainwave monitor.
“Computer terminate the brainwave monitor for Fenris.”
“Command confirmed, master.”
The enclosure and the brainwave monitor around the sleeping Fenris retracts and melds back into the bedding.