While the continental assets are being placed on Continent Asgard, I turn my focus to the damaged transport pod.

I walk over to the matter converter and set it to reclaim a portion of the transport pod.

The beams hit the transport pod and a portion is reclaimed into the encampment mode.

“Computer, have the ship reclaim and reconstitute the transport pod.”

“Command confirmed, master. Reclaiming transport pod and reconstituting all damaged areas.”

I return over to the command console and convert the repair assistance vehicle encampment mode into the transport mode with an auxiliary transport vessel attached.

“Wow! This was the bike I somewhat remember from before!”

“It is indeed the one from the memories that the Terran Michiru encountered. I have currently modified it to accommodate transporting you safely.”

“It’s crazy that the encampment mode was really the transport. It’s like those transforming kids’ toys.”

“If you deem it so. Please, step into the auxiliary transport vessel and we will be off.”

“You know the naming sense you have for everything is really awkward.”

“I do not understand your apprehension to the names of the equipment. I did not devise their names. They were assigned.”

“They all have such long names. It’s really tough to keep them all straight.”

“The equipment are named for what they are and they are simple enough.”

“But what if it was easier and simpler. Like instead of “repair assistance vehicle” you use R.A.V. or instead of “auxiliary transport vessel” use A.T.V.?”

“I do not need to use such terminology but if you feel the need to do so you may.”

She starts to climb into auxiliary transport vessel.

“Well, let’s get this R.A.V. going.”

I set the repair assistance vehicle in motion toward our first destination.

As we begin our journey to our first location, she begins asking me questions.

“So, we’re going to another secret lab. Do you think we’ll find another person like me?”

“It is highly unlikely that we will find another experiment like yours.”

“Oh! So, I’m one of a kind! That’s good to know.”

“You could consider yourself a distant prototype of the Environmental Repair Cyborg series.”

“That would make me your mother, right?”

“While you were the earliest variation of the Environmental Repair Cyborg, your linage would put you at that of what you would call a great-great-great-great-grandmother.”

“I’m only twenty-one…I think.”

“The Terran Michiru was twenty-one Terran years old when I met her. That would be her memory.”

“So, how old am I?”

“According to the notes by Lækni X, the youngest was eight Terran months old, the next oldest was twenty-eight Terran years old and the oldest was fifty-eight Terran years old.”

“That weird doctor liked the number eight, I guess. But still how old am I really?”

“You have two different possibilities. You can go by the date the original body was created and that would be two thousand Terran years old.”

“Eh!? No way! I don’t feel anywhere near that old.”

“The other alternative would be to use the average ages of all four spectral entities. This would bring you to twenty-six Terran years and nine Terran months old.”

“Well, I think I’ll go with that. It feels like that fits my body better.”

“That is an appropriate observation.”

“So, since I know how old I am, you can…“

I do not let her complete her sentence because the coordinates of the first Kirtov is reached.

“I am going to need to secure you in the auxiliary transport vessel as the Kirtov is in the vicinity.”

“WHAT!? I think you’re just dodging the quest…”

While she replies I press the button to close the auxiliary transport vessel to isolate her from any possible outside danger.

Just as I close the auxiliary transport vessel, I see the Kirtov in the distance stand up out of its stasis and begins running towards the repair assistance vehicle.

I bring the repair assistance vehicle to a stop and jump off while drawing my weapon.

As I fire my shots at the Kirtov, it dodges all my shots while closing the distance.

With it closing in on me I crouch down and make a giant leap into the air and take careful aim.

I first carefully aim at its center mass and fire two shots and then move to its head and fire one shot there.

The first shot to the center mass misses but the second lands and the follow-up shot to the head lands as well.

I land on the ground as the Kirtov also falls.

Like the other two Kirtov I fought, it begins to repair itself.

Raising my left hand upwards and reaching out my right hand at the Kirtov, I begin syphoning the Vitran Particles and venting them out as it creates base planetary lifeforms.

Now that the Vitran particles are vented and the Kirtov is reduced to dust, I return to the repair assistance vehicle and open the auxiliary transport vessel.

“That thing was a Kirtov?”

“Indeed, it was.”

“That looked nothing like a vampire I remember from Michiru’s memory. Wait, I am recalling something looking similar to that. It was tall, brownish, had a slightly snouted face and long arms. Where was that from? Was it a movie or a video game? It could be both.”

“I am not familiar with your references but it seems you can reconcile the visuals with something familiar.”

“Well, it took me a few minutes to find the button to let me see outside the A.T.V. but, it was cool seeing the Kirtov and you in action.”

I remount the repair assistance vehicle and continue on our way to the first facility location.

“Mr. Ninety, I was thinking maybe I should have a weapon as well. You know, just in case.”

“Indeed. It would be good to provide you some form of self-defense. Once we arrive at the facility, I will fabricate one for you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Ninety. I will be very careful and only use it when I am in danger.”

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Her thankfulness was very childlike.

Perhaps it was one of the other personalities coming forward.

It appears her integration is going well.

We arrive at the location for the first facility and I look around for where the entrance may be.

“Computer, I appear to be at the location of the first of facility but have not located the entrance.”

“The entrance is located below your feet, master.”

I bend down and begin wiping the dirt away to reveal a lid with a couple of inset bars.

I lift the bars and turn them counter-clockwise and pull the hatch off.

“Ooh! Did you know that was there?”

“No. I was advised of the location from computer.”

“I see. It’s good to have someone who can give you help when you need it.”

We begin to descend the ladder to the bottom.

The facility is similar to the one where I found the entity.

“It’s pretty dark in here.”

“Yes, I will apply power to the facility to bring the lights on.”

I find a familiar panel, extend my fingers and apply some power to the panel.

The lights turn on and the panel illuminates.

“This looks awfully familiar. This looks like where you found me.”

“Indeed. It is possible that he crated these sites in haste due to The Raganrog’s impending traversal towards this area.”

“That sounds like a possibility. Gotta keep those kinda things simple to save time.”

“It would seem so. Now then.”

I place my hand on the panel and have computer open it for us.

“Ok, it’s definitely not quite the same as the place I was.”

“Indeed. I will have to access the data that Lækni X had that pertained to the experiment that took place here.”

Unlike the previous facility that housed the entity, this one has a large rectangular glass cube.

I locate the terminal near the front of the cube and begin to access the data contained.

“Wow! Look at this huge fish tank.”

“That is an interesting observation but it is incorrect.”

“Oh? What is it then?”

“The data states that this “tank” as you call it was used to create and control weather styles on a small scale with the intent to execute this experiment on a large scale.”

“Hmm. Well looking at the weather outside, I’d say he probably succeeded.”

“Your observation is plausible. There has been no change in the weather since arriving on planet Midengard.”

“I wonder why he wanted to tinker with the weather.”

“Lækni X’s notes state that he devised this experiment to preserve his laboratory sites.”

“I don’t understand. Why would he do that? I mean it’d be cool to call down lightning like Thor but other than that I don’t see the point.”

“Have you noticed something about the weather on planet Midengard? More specifically the clouds.”

“Yeah, it looks like it’s gonna rain but never does. OH!”

“It appears you understand what is missing.”

“But if there’s no life here why stop the rain?”

“Rain does more than provide moisture to plant life.”

“Hmm, Oh! I get it! Water causes erosion.”

“Indeed. The amount of precipitation that would fall on the land over the large amount of time from when The Raganrog to when we arrived would cause substantial damage to the soil especially if there was no plant life to prevent the erosion.”

“Wow it seems he thought a lot about the future of the planet. I wonder how he knew.”

“It is an answer we may discover eventually. I have recovered all the data stored here so we can leave this place and continue on to the next location.”

We leave the laboratory room and after we leave the doorway, I start to retrieve the power and notice the lights flicker.

“Master, a power spike has exited the facility you are in and has entered the low atmosphere.”

As computer relays that message to me, the power I was about to reclaim is gone.

“Interesting. The power in the facility is gone as well.”

“Hey, I’m not even out of the lab yet. I can’t see in the dark.”

“It was not my intention to remove the power so suddenly. It appears the energy I provided was redirected out of the facility.”

“Oh! Sounds like we tripped a trap.”

“Your theory is sound. Come, let’s exit the facility.”

We make our way up the ladder and back up to the surface.

Once we reach the surface, I notice that the clouds above exhibiting flashes of light.

“Oh! A thunderstorm. I hope we won’t get hit by lightning.”

“Why would you assume so?”

“Well, we do have lots of metal on and in us. We could become a Lightning rod of some sort.”

Just before I am about to reply to her, a loud booming voice starts to accompany the thunder.

“Welcome to this dead world. Your arrival has been foretold, Vitan. I will open the way to all the fruits of my research. I hope you will use this knowledge to restore our past glory and not to complete the destruction. The future is in your hands.”

As the voice finishes a series of lightning bolts strikes the surface of the planet.

One strikes a location close by.

The remaining strike unknown locations.

“Computer, verify the locations of the lightning strikes. Are there any more on Continent Midheim?”

“Master, there were two places struck on Continent Midheim. One impacted at the facility you recovered the Vitan anomaly and the other a close distance from your location.”

“Understood. Were there any other locations impacted on planet Midengard?”

“Yes, master. There were several other locations on the other continents that were impacted.”

It seems like the I am being invited to investigate Lækni X’s research.

For someone to create such a message stating they knew I would arrive, it appears they did not know all of the future information as I would have investigated the facilities anyhow.

“Wow! Talk about the flair for the dramatic!”

“Indeed. It is interesting that Lækni X knew of my arrival by name.”

“Seems like things will be a lot more hectic.”

“It appears so but, we will need to prepare.”