I go over to the repair assistance vehicle and place it into encampment mode.

“Come over to the matter converter.”

“Oh! Ok.”

“Place your hand on the panel like you did before and think of a weapon you would want to use for your protection.”

“Ok, got it.”

I then place my hand over hers.

“Weapon production allowed. Binding to both genetic signatures.”

Computer informs me of the allowance of weapon creation.

The weapon forms on the shelf along with a holster.

It is a smaller version of my own weapon.

“This weapon you must only use in self-defense.”

“I understand. Thank you very much.”

“Your weapon has safety features. The first is that only you or I am able to handle it. If anyone were to try to handle the weapon it will rematerialize back in its holster. Second is that once the weapon loses contact with your genetic signature, it will rematerialize back in its holster.”

“I understand but, I got a question. Why did you have to add your genetic signature?”

“It is also a safety feature but, not one for you but for me. The Environmental Repair Cyborgs are not arms providers and as such we can only make weapons for ourselves but can make weapons for others only to provide self-defense. Our genetic signatures are added so that we can take that weapon away if the recipient were to abuse their weapon.”

“Oh! Ok, I will definitely be very careful. Thank you so much.”

She bends down in a bow as she gives her thanks.

Before I convert the encampment mode, I look at the location of the next facility and the possible location of the last Kirtov on Continent Midheim.

They appear to be near each other.

I turn the encampment mode back into transport mode and I hear some rumbling of cloth.

“Are you ready to continue on to the next location?”

“Yup, got my protection right here.” She says as her right hand pats her right thigh.

It appears that sound I heard was her securing her weapon underneath her clothes.

“Let us be off then.”

About half way to our destination she remarks, “Oh wow! I never saw a tornado in real life.”

“It seems this was also a creation by Lækni X. We will need to alter our trajectory to avoid contact with it.”

“Yeah, it looks scary. I wouldn’t want to be in that thing. I’m getting dizzy just looking at it.”

“Indeed. It has razed the majority of the settlements and buildings on Continent Midheim over the course of the last two thousand Terran years.”

“That makes sense. Tornados on Earth have always been destructive. But why does it look so…odd?”

“When last I encountered the tornado it housed many spectral anomalies. That is why I theorized that this was a creation by Lækni X.”

“Yeah, I can see that crazy guy coming up with something so cruel.”

“Your choice of descriptor for Lækni X is interesting.”

“Well, I would think only a crazy person would make someone like me and leave cryptic messages using thunder and lightning and trap a bunch of peoples souls in a tornado.”

“That is a reasonable perception of the situation at hand considering your previous situations.”

“Right? You can see what I mean.”

“Indeed, those are some odd situations. We shall see, now that we are nearing the next facility.”

“Oh, so soon.”

Just as she finished her reply, I take note that there is no Kirtov nearby.

“What’s wrong?” she queries as I bring the repair assistance vehicle to a stop.

“I am unable to find the remaining Kirtov on Continent Midheim.”

“Oh! Yeah, that’s a probably not a good thing.”

“Computer, where is the remaining Kirtov?”

“There are currently no signs of the Kirtov that was near your location, master.”

“It appears the Kirtov has disappeared.”

“Maybe the lightning fried it.”

“It is unlikely that a lightning strike would have destroyed the Kirtov assuming it was in its stasis state.”

“Really? How?”

“While in stasis the Kirtov are resilient enough to survive atmospheric reentry and planetary impact.”

“Whoa! They seem unstoppable. How were you able to kill them before?”

“Once the Kirtov exit their stasis state they are weaker in their bipedal/quadrupedal form. They are no longer compact while they look for their victim and drain them of their life.”

“They’re so scary but it’s good they have a weakness.”

“Let us investigate the facility but, be on guard.”

“Okay, I’ll stay very close to you. Just in case.”

I turn on my visor to dark environment mode and begin down into the facility.

As I reach the half way mark I motion to the entity to begin her decent.

Once I reach the bottom, I notice the door is already opened and forcefully so.

I draw my weapon and the Kirtov appears and attacks before I can fire my weapon.

The Kirtov clamps down on my right shoulder and I release the grip from my weapon and as it falls to the ground, it reappears back in its holster.

“きゃ！どうしよう！”

As I wrestle the Kirtov off of my shoulder I yell out to her.

“Hurry up and flee back to the auxiliary transport vessel!”

“R…right! Back to the A.T.V.!”

After she clears the entrance up top, I grab the Kirtov with both of my arms wrapped around its torso.

Again, the Kirtov bites down on my shoulder.

I then crouch down to perform a large jump and proceed to exit the top entrance.

We clear the entrance and land on the ground with a giant thud, the Kirtov on top of me.

My grip from the Kirtov is released and arms fall to my sides.

The Kirtov recovers and begins pounding on my chest with its fists.

“Armor integrity is compromised and is at fifty-eight percent, master.”

I move my right hand over and grab my weapon from its holster and begin to slowly bring my weapon up to fire at the Kirtov.

The Kirtov notices and smacks my arm and the weapon starts to fly from my hand and dematerializes.

It bites at the weak part of my armor and begins to syphon my Vitran Particles from me.

I reach up with both of my hands and grab its head to push it away.

It seems my power has weakened as I am unable to push it further away but am able to stop the draining of my Vitran Particles.

With my little strength I am able to keep it at arm’s length.

Suddenly two holes appear in its chest and then one in its head.

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I push the Kirtov’s lifeless body to the left side of my body revealing the entity standing with her weapon drawn.

“I…I…I had to do it. I know it wasn’t really self-defense but if you died, I don’t think I could have survived that thing coming after me.”

“You were justified. Thank you for the assistance.”

“I’m so glad you’re still alive. Is it dead?”

I push myself up into a seated position.

“It is for now but will repair itself shortly.”

“Oh no!”

“I will use its Vitran Particles to recover myself and destroy it completely.”

“Whew, that’s good.”

While still seated, I raise my right arm and place my left on the near lifeless body and begin to drain the Kirtov of its Vitran Particles.

I absorb a large amount of Vitran Particles which restores my armor’s integrity and brings my Vitran Particle reserves back to one hundred percent.

The remaining particles are vented out through my right hand and the Kirtov’s body begins to crumble to dust as the area around us is filled with plant and insect life.

“Looks like you’re all better.”

“Indeed. The absorption of the Vitran Particles in the Kirtov allowed me to repair the damage that I was dealt. Come let us continue our investigation.”

“Okay, but I hope there isn’t any more Kirtov lurking around ready to avenge its friend.”

I reply to the entity as I stand up and prepare to reenter the facility.

“The one here was the last on Continent Midheim. Also, they are unable to manifest the concept of revenge, only survival instincts.”

“Well, that’s reassuring…I guess.”

“I am in optimal condition so let us continue to investigate this facility.”

“R…right.”

As soon as she finishes her reply, I continue down the ladder back into the facility and signal for her to follow me.

After I restore power to facility, we make our way past the remnants of the door and continue into the facility proper.

The layout is more spacious than the previous facilities.

Large containers are placed near several control panels.

“Wow, this place looks a lot different than the other two.”

“Indeed, it is.”

She looks around at the control panels strewn throughout the facility.

“Be careful not to disturb anything until I can investigate them fully.”

“Of course, I may have been just born but I’m not stupid.”

“I did not call your intellect into question. I only wished to advise you to execute caution until I can catalog the findings here.”

“I got it. Now get with your work. I wanna know what all this stuff is about, too.”

I locate what I might deem as the main console and begin the extraction of information from it.

“The notes indicate that of something called ‘Project Polaris.’ Further analysis indicates this was the cause of the spectral anomalies.”

“WHAT? No way? That’s crazy!”

“It is not as outlandish as to make it appear. Although the way that the spectral anomalies were created would seem that way too many a person.”

“Oh, and how was it created?”

“The project consisted of a secret missile that were disguised as part of the evacuation vehicles. Once the evacuation vehicles launched, the missiles separated from the vehicle and made their way to large population centers where upon detonation, the tornado was formed and, in the process, extracted the spectral forms from the natives residing in the population center.”

“That’s cruel!”

“I do not think that was his reasoning for creating this project.”

“But to kill so many people so quickly I think is very cruel.”

“His logic was that there were not enough evacuation vehicles to accommodate everyone on this planet so he devised a plan place the remaining people in spectral stasis until there was a time to bring them back.”

“I guess he did what he had to do but it seems so violent.”

“I would surmise that time was of the essence as the Raganrog was beginning its devastation. The result was this project.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. So, what are these containers then?”

“They appear to be left over components for additional units to deploy. I will have them destroyed later when I have computer start the conversion of Continent Midheim.”

“That’s a relief. Wouldn’t want to have anyone else use these.”

“As we are currently the only occupants on Continent Midheim, I do not see this as a possibility.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“Come I have collected all the data from this facility and have calculated a way to undo the tornado and return the spectral anomalies to this planet whole.”

She begins her reply as we begin to exit the facility.

“Really! That’s cool!”

“We will need to do some preparation for when they are ready to be manifest.”

“We? You mean I get to help?”

“Indeed, computer will only be able to provide minimal support for this next phase so your assistance will be greatly appreciated.”

“I won’t let you down Mr. Ninety.”

“We will make our way back to Continent Asgard and I will explain your tasks there.”

“I’m so excited! Let’s go, Mr. Ninety!”

We arrive back at the repair assistance vehicle and depart to Continent Asgard.

As we close the distance to our destination I setup further coordination with computer in preparation for the dissolution of the tornado.

“Computer, I will need an additional repair assistance vehicle set to encampment mode placed at the center of the settlement.”

“Repair assistance vehicle enroute, master.”

When I receive confirmation, we arrive at the multicolored bridge.

“The Rainbow Bridge never ceases to amaze me. It’s so beautiful.”

“It was vital to restore this bridge to reconnect Continent Asgard to Continent Midheim due to the coastal terrain on Continent Asgard.”

“I sense a but coming.”

“However, once I am able to transfer the spectral forms from the tornado, I will have to shut the bridge down so I can isolate them from the repair that will begin on Continent Midheim.”

“I see. What are we going to be doing on Asgard?”

“I will explain once we arrive.”

“OK, I guess. I mean I’m really along for the ride anyhow.”

“Indeed, however I will need your assistance as I will be very busy extracting the spectral anomalies.”

“You’re gonna save the people?”

“That is the intention. We will be at our destination shortly.”