Earth – World of The Misplaced Dungeon
{Timeline: February 2019 – MD shortly before Ch. 79}
Katy strutted down the hall with a big grin on her face, it had been easier than she had expected. Nate had been a pushover; even in his new self he was still Nate. Thou she had to admit the tiger man look was kind of cool.
She spotted her coterie awaiting her in their usual spot. Lani was giggling at something Sammy was saying. “Hey! It worked, you just have to select race and go for human, then variants. Then pick the vampire option. Human, vampire, no, vampiric. Yep that’s it vampiric. C’mon do it now.”
“Oh cool!” Sammy seemed to go cross eyed and started jabbing at the air. “Cool, hey it’s so easy! Done!” and she grinned broadly.”
Lani watched Sammy wide eyed and licked her lips nervously as she slumped against the wall and looked vaguely into the distance. “Erm, I still think werewolf would be better.”
“Oh come on Lani, what could be cooler than the three vampire babes?” insisted Katy.
Lani examined the sunlight streaming in through the windows. “Maybe. Look I’ll think about it like and do the integration thing tonight.”
“You’re being a sissy again Lani. C’mon, choose, it is really easy,” insisted Sammy while Katy nodded vigorously.
Then the bell rang and Lani jerked. “I’ll do it at home later, gotta get to class now.”
Katy and Sammy shared a grin and sauntered of to their English class. “She really is a wuss,” said Katy.
* * *
Denise went to sit next to her friend Betty and prepared herself for yet another English lesson, they were covering Romeo and Juliette again today. Ms Fielding was taking attendance when Katy stiffened and then screamed and collapsed to the floor in an apparent fit before curling into a foetal position with a long drawn out moan. In the few seconds before Katy was completely surrounded by her friends and the curious Denise noted that her skin was turning a bright red.
Ms Fielding called for the school nurse and shooed the curious back.
Denise tried her evaluate and gasped. “Ms Fielding, I think you should get Katy out of the sunlight. I tried my evaluate skill, Katy’s race is human – vampire variant.”
“What! That’s ridiculous Denise. It’s the middle of the day and she’s alive so can’t be a vampire.”
“Hey, Denise is right Ms. Human, dash, vampire variant.” Confirmed the class elf.
Mrs Kato arrived just in time to see Sammy convulse and collapse panting in agony.
Teresa cleaned her glasses and leaned back in her chair, trying very hard not to feel joy at the suffering of the two girls that tended to make her life uncomfortable. They weren’t bullies, just thoughtless and self centred. But still they and Lani were.... “Ms Fielding, those two are always with Lani, maybe someone should check on her ... and Zeke?”
* * *
Mr Riviera felt like tearing his hair out, or at least what little remained of it. He sighed and downed his coffee before. He had four pupils in hospital, all comatose and suffering from anaemia. He cursed the day this System had turned up.
There was a knock on his door. “Come in.”
Ms Franklin entered with his vice principal Kato.
“Come in, sit please. So Kato has your wife any more news?”
“I’m afraid so Carl, Ms Sottomayor was right. They all chose to become some kind of vampire in the middle of the day.”
“What about Ms Lapin? How did she escape and what did she have to say for herself.”
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Ms Franklin rolled her eyes, “Lani contrary to appearances actually has some brains. She made excuses and avoided opting to become a vampire in the middle of the day. She did however drop Nate Wilson in it, and Nate dragged in Mary Silvestre and the Sottomayors.”
“So? Are they all trembling in their boots waiting to see me?” joked Carl Riviera.
Kato snorted, “Nate and Lani are, the others not.”
“Well show them in.”
The gaggle of teens entered the principal’s office accompanied by the school nurse. After confirming all the facts, Lani was dismissed with the knowledge that the Riviera intended to keep an eye on her. The Sottomayors were the next to leave the office.
“Now, care to tell me just what you two inflicted on your fellows?”
“Nothin’. They got what they asked for, and all information was and is available.”
“I had two girls screaming in agony in my class. Burning in the sun and you had a hand in it,” exclaimed Ms Franklin.
“Me? Was asked for help by Nate who they threatened to beat up. They wanted vampire, they got altered human. They’re alive not dead or undead. Not my fault they are idiots.”
Mrs Kato cut in preventing a livid Ms Franklin from continuing. “Mary, what treatment do those kids need?”
“Transfusions, proteins and painkillers ‘til the change is complete. The nanites are colonisin’ ‘em and boostin’ their muscles an’ senses, growin’ hollow fangs for transfusions and makin’ some changes to their brains. Will take between twenty-four to forty-eight hours.
“The fun part is that they can turn other humans, and only humans. The victim has to be willin’ and confirm with Bluey. Then they have to find an’ follow instructions. What will work for one person won’t necessarily work for anyone else.”
“Anything else? And how do you know so much about it Mary?” asked Kato.
“Better get some physiotherapists involved. Boosted strength can wreck a basic skeletal framework.” Mary shrugged, “ask Bluey, err, the System. He’s really very reasonable and helpful. You just have to be careful of his sense of humour. I’m still goin’ beep ‘cause of that.”
“Really Mary why didn’t you come to me about this?”
Mary looked at the principal blankly. “Nate asked for help, if anyone should have gone to you it wasn’t me. Interestin’ challenge he fetched me. So now idiots who want to be vampires have a not overwhelmingly powerful option to chose an’ most won’t seek anythin’ better. They really should have read the fine print. All info is available.”
Ms Franklin was still fuming. “Those girls might have died. How could you have been so reckless?”
Nate winced and looked downhearted. “Sorry.”
Mary looked bored and shrugged one shoulder.
* * *
Mary absolutely refused to try to squeeze herself into the Kato’s car. After a short argument she followed them in her jeep. After parking she followed Nate and the Katos into the hospital and then they all waited while Mrs Kato explained to the man at reception about who they were and why they were present.
After a bit the Katos went through a door after asking Nate and Mary to wait. Mary found a seat and sat carefully in one of the too small chairs. It creaked alarmingly and after looking round she levered herself out of the chair and gave it a dirty look and went to lean against one of the walls. Nate for his part found that the chairs were barely tolerable.
Nate looked round at Mary. “Just how much do you weigh?”
“Now honestly, is that anythin’ you should ask a dungeon Nate? ‘Specially a girl dungeon. Tons, lots and lots of tons.”
“Wha?”
Mary laughed at the look on his face.
A few minutes later while Nate was still half scowling a young dwarf holding a clipboard and wearing scrubs wandered into the room and asked if they needed any help.
Nate replied in the negative while Mary studied the newcomer carefully and grinned, “Hey girl, wanna get rid of that beard for good?”
“YES!” then she scowled, “It is not nice to tease.”
“Not teasin’. I can do it, the genetic markers that control a female dwarf’s beard are fairly distinct and not all female dwarves develop beards.”
Mikaela glared at the big – sea human, what in hell was a sea human anyway? “What are you girl? What’s a sea human? And how do you know that about dwarves?”
“Am human an’ got gills. Need to breath water for several hours every week. An’ why would I neglect dwarves when studyin’?”
“Wha?” blurted Nate.
It was at this point that the Katos re-emerged with a spry elderly looking man with nicotine stained fingers and moustache.
“Is there some problem Dr De Blasio?”
“No Dr Truman, this young lady seems to believe she can perform miracles.”
“Maybe she can if Sharon is to be believed. So young lady can you explain what we need to do to pull your reckless friends through their integration?”
“Not friends. Consult Bluey. She can do it,” said Mary jerking a thumb in Mickaela’s direction. “Call up the interface, select general info. Races. Human variants. Vampiric. Nanotech installation and system adaptation. All you need is there. Anything that seems iffy, select it and search for info. You might like to check the methods those twits can infect others.”
Michaela started cursing and came close to demolishing one of the chairs when she punched it.
“What on Earth! Dr DeBlasio please calm down.”
“The girl’s right Dr. Everything we need is there. How long have you known about this function girl?”
“Several months.”
“Why haven’t you told anyone about it?”
“I keep tellin’ people to read the fine print.”
Dr Michaela DeBlasio stared at Mary and pointed. “Diagnose,” she commanded. “Blocked! How did you block me girl.”
“Easily. Just a matter of level difference.”
“But I’m... maybe you can fix my beard at that.”
“Can. Visit me at home an’ I’ll sort you out in about an hour.”
* * *
Katy woke in a dimly lit room and saw that Sammy was in the other bed. A dwarf was watching her.
“You feeling better Katy? I’m Dr DeBlasio but you may call me Michaela. Are you up to receiving visitors?”