Amy's Divine Operating Theatre.

[My_Game_Account]

June 20, 2009, Saturday.

Two beings of immense size communicate. The heat of stars dying passes between them as a greeting. I am left protected in the shadows. My mind screams that this is wrong. I should be saving my sister from death. Not daydreaming of monsters. The one closer to human but made of galaxies swings its head around.

"Fear not little mortal, time passes differently here. Your sister will be safe in your hands. World shaper has asked me to fix you. Are you prepared to pass beneath my hammer?"

"Fix me? Did I get hurt as well? Am I going to die?"

There is another supernova burst directed from the continent size being of crystal and flesh towards the humanoid galaxy.

Without warning or the intervening motion associated with cutting, a wedge is brought down by the galaxy. Splitting the crystal entity in half. Even as I watch the split halves regrow. The color of the crystal and flesh becomes more vibrant and seems to fill with power.

The being of galaxies splits the being of flesh and crystal once more making three. The wedge changes to a hammer. The hammer is brought down, shattering the most recently made crystalline entity. A piece the size of a car flies towards me and before it can hit me I feel the weight of that continent-splitting hammer coming down on my head.

I blink in confusion. I am back in the food court of the mall, my hand covering Vicki's bullet wounds. Her biology and all the ways I can improve it fill my awareness. First I force the metal out of the wounds. Then force the dead flesh I can't work with out as well. I move the healthy blood back into the veins and seal them neatly. Lastly, I grow new muscle and skin.

I double-check my work making sure there will be no scars. I leave the patches I worked on the color of new flesh so that when Vicki gets to a doctor they have something to orient tests on.

I pull my hands away even as I consider making bone armor under her skin. No, not unless she asks and after I have tested it on something else. Vicky begins to stir. I am not sure what to tell her… I just became more intimately acquainted with her body than any doctor. She is going to hate me for violating her… Privacy? Sanctity? I lean back, hugging myself and waiting on judgment.

She sits up and looks at me in horror. "Oh-my-gosh, Oh-my-gosh Ames you're covered in blood. Lie down, I have to see where you're hurt…"

I can't help laughing at the absurdity of that. She had just been bullet-ridden and it is her blood but she wants to make sure I'm okay. My peals of laughter turn into sobs. My sister, the one bright spot in my life, almost died. Vicky puts a hand behind my back and one on my shoulder guiding me to lay back. As soon as she touches my shoulder, her biology blooms into view again. Her brain is lit up like a Christmas tree. Some chemical I don't know the name of is being overproduced by two organs in the middle of her back. I smooth that out before it causes her to crash or have a heart attack.

"I'm fine Vicky. They didn't get me. This is all yours."

Her face pales. "What, all of it?" She runs her hands up her sides and stomach until she finds the holes in her shirt. "Holy shit. The Protectorate test showed I am not a regenerator." She gives a shaky smile. "Ha! Happy they're wrong."

"Vicky, you're not… I healed you."

Vicky makes a high-pitched keening noise and her smile becomes genuine. She floats to her feet then offers a hand up. She pulls me into a tight hug and pats my hair. "I was so worried you would be left out. I hated when we didn't get to participate in team meetings. Mom's going to freak."

I suppose annoying Carol will be a good thing that came out of today.

"I should make sure that The Chorus is gone. Scare off any stragglers."

I want to tell her not to go. I don't want her to get hurt again. She has been a hero for about two months. That is not nearly long enough for her to be handling a gang alone. Today was supposed to be a sister's day out.

I swear if I ever catch the leader of The Chorus I am going to turn them inside out… and now my power is telling me how to do that and make them live through the experience. Note to self, do not make vows that are physically possible. That's disgusting.

"Wait, Vicky uh… should we see about the wounded instead? People don't know about me, but if Glory Girl were to tell them to line up they would listen."

"Oh! Triage, yeah we can do that. But, I'll still need to make sure that everyone is safe. I'll try to find people who can help. What limits are we working with on your power?"

"Just time, each person will take a few minutes, maybe more if they are badly hurt."

"Okay, you will have to give me the nitty-gritty when we get done. Until then, I'm off!" She flies away calling out, "Medical care in the food court! Triage in the food court!" Her voice echoes off the silent walls and she continues calling out even as she gets further away.

The people who were working in the restaurants begin poking their heads out. One rather tall woman with storm grey eyes strides out with purpose. She is wearing a chef's uniform. She gives me a wink and a wicked grin before turning to stand beside me. Many of the staff from her kitchen have come out and are watching us.

"Alright, everyone, time to earn overtime! Corrine, please go get Arhaa, Martinez, and Edward. Jon, time to time move tables. Get everything moved to the front of the restaurants. Izzie, take this young lady to get cleaned up and get her an apron."

I barely notice as I am led away because something is happening with my powers. Two stars bloom in my mind's eye. They are charges. I can spend them separately or together. I can use them on myself making my power stronger or I can give them to my power so it can do something with them. But nothing is forcing me to spend them so I will hold on to them until I have spoken to Carol.

I come back to myself as Izzie holds open the bathroom door for me. Immediately I catch sight of myself in the mirror. I look like something out of a horror film. My freckles are covered by a liberal coating of blood where I have touched my face.

Mechanically I walk to the sink and start washing. The shirt is a write-off and it was one of my favorites too. It says 'Nosey Bastard' in tiny letters. Once my hands are clean enough Izzie gives me some paper towels. I wet them and start on my face.

"Are you really a healer? Jon said you were but he is wrong pretty often. A healer on the side of the angels would be a godsend."

"Do you know the team New Wave? I'm Brandish's daughter."

"Ohhh! The family team. That's good you already have support. Here you look clean enough, use my apron. I'll get a new one." She moves to hand it to me and our hand's brush. I notice for the first time that my power is requesting to be turned on. But before I can look at her biology she has moved away.

"Come on, Miss Elizabeth will be wondering where we are. Let me tie the apron for you."

Now that I have washed my face I am much more aware. That is not a good thing. I need to focus but my mind keeps flashing back to Victoria's still body and how helpless I was. But I have power now. I clench my fist, my fingernails dig into my palm. I have power and I am going to help everyone I can, just like my sister. I follow Izzie out, back into the food court.

People are already flowing into the area. The tables have mostly been moved out of the large main area and are sitting at the entrances to the restaurants. It's a crowded affair. There are three people laid out on mats with makeshift pillows. The woman I assume to be Miss Elizabeth is directing everyone who can walk to sit at tables while more mats are being laid out. I hover at the edge, I know what to do, but not who to choose first. Izzie takes my hand and leads the way.

"Miss Elizabeth!" Izzie calls.

Without looking at us, Miss Elizabeth holds up a hand in a one moment gesture and finishes issuing orders. Then crooks a finger calling us closer. "What's your name?" she asks, her voice easily cutting through the sound of people chattering and milling about.

"I'm Amy. Where do you want me to start?"

"There are three people. One person was shot and one can't talk. The last had a shelf fall on him. You are starting with the man who was shot in the belly. He is the one on the left. Work your way right, we will try to keep them in order. Do you need anything?"

"No, I just needed to know where to start. Thanks."

"Good, Izzie, get her a bottle of water then stay with Amy, you're taking care of her." Izzie nods and sets off to follow orders. I head over to see about the first man.

He is curled into the fetal position hugging himself. I touch his head and my awareness expands. There is a strange duality to it. I almost become him. His pain is mine in a way that I can't explain but at the same time, I'm separate from it. First I stop the nerves from sending pain signals.

Then I heal his intestine so that acid and other assorted nastiness stops seeping out. I use some of his belly fat to envelop intestinal gunk and make the fat form a small hard bead. I move the bead to the hole made by the bullet and make the hole heal up as the bead is pulled out. It rolls down beside him. Releasing my hold on his nervous system is an odd experience. Like letting go of hugging a stranger. The whole operation takes about five minutes.

I don't know when Izzie got back but she is standing at my elbow. I move on to my next patient. The woman is striking. She is wearing deep purple lipstick with glasses that match and she is in a burgundy peplum dress. Her creamy white skin is marred by bright blue bruises on her neck.

I hold my hand out to her, she takes it and once again I am struck by the feeling of otherness and togetherness. I can almost read her mind. She is pissed. Her ankle is broken and her throat was damaged enough that she can't talk. The ankle is easy, all the pieces are still touching so I just reform the bonds between the bones. The throat is harder because of all the delicate blood vessels that have been burst. Plus some damage to the vocal cords. Although harder is relative… It's still only the work of minutes.

I let go of her hand and start to move on when she calls out. "Wait! You're doing it wrong. You've got to document the injuries. Erm, I mean thanks for healing me, but if you don't document it then they get away with it."

"I can take video with my phone," Izzie volunteers.

The woman nods, "I'll go behind you and collect personal information to give to the police and parahuman response team. You're new right? They'll want to review your work a few times to make sure there aren't side effects."

Two more stars bloom in my mind's eye. The temptation to spend them Immediately is back but I put it aside and focus on the task at hand. "Alright, that plan sounds good to me. I think it might be best if I try to list off what I am doing for the camera. Let's get to the next patient."

The man who had a shelf fall on him is no challenge. "There is a small crack in the skull. I am mending it now. Other than that he is fine." No, my first real challenge is the eighty-five-year-old woman who broke her hip in chaos.

I can tell where the new damage is but everything screams to be fixed. She is almost blind and her hearing is going. Old age is just catching up with her. First I numb her leg then go ahead and fix it. I repair her eardrums and eyes. If I were to shrink her by about a foot I could fix most of her issues. Brittle bones, joint damage, and all. As it is, I destroy a stone in her body that my power shows could be used in her bones. I clean out all the detritus that has built up in her organs and use it to repair them as best I can.

When I let go of her hand she whispers, "I see you." Then she burst into tears. And I completely forgot to tell the camera what I was doing. Crap.

"Ames!" My sister zooms in, flying as fast as she can in the enclosed space. People almost don't get out of the way of her landing fast enough. There is a broken boy in her arms. The boy looks to be about seven. His arm is twisted and his neck is protruding at an odd angle. She lays him down on an empty mat.

I am already there laying hands on him. His spine is broken. There is life in him but it is faint and fading. I did not get this power to watch a life end! I know that I can become more. I spend four stars. There is a pulse through my body and a sharp crack from the boy. Oxygen in the lungs. Blood flow, normal. Brain activity, normal. Spine straight. My power cuts out.

The boy's eyes flutter open. My world starts spinning and everything goes black.

/\

June 22, 2009, Monday.

I wake up to a splitting headache and the sound of snoring. I feel every germ and virus touching my body and I can control them all. I turn my power off and the headache immediately clears up. I am left wide-eyed at the difference.

My eyes are drawn to Vicky. She is sitting on one of those uncomfortable plastic chairs like you have in kindergarten. On the floor beside her is a duffle bag colored bright white with gold trim. The duffle matches her hero uniform. Her hero uniform consists of a white one-piece dress that ends in a skirt. She is using her short cape as a blanket.

"Hey, snorechestra wake up!"

Vicky jumps in her seat. "Ames! You're awake!" She looks at her watch. "Wow, it's morning already. Second day since the mall."

"That explains the ugly ass-hospital. How long do I have to stay?"

"We can get you checked out now that you're awake. They already ran tests making sure you were okay."

"Are you doing okay? How's everyone from the mall?"

She waves off the first question. "I'm fine. There were no deaths, thanks to you. You got two phone numbers, one from Jamie and one from the family of the boy you saved." She grins beatifically. "You did good, Ames!"

I blush at the praise. "Thanks, Who is Jamie? I didn't get people's names."

"Uh, well when she was talking to the police she mentioned that she kicked a Chorus member in the nuts after he stole her necklace. Oh! Purple lipstick, eyeshadow, and a cute dress that I want you to ask her where she got! I brought your phone and a change of clothes." She kicks the duffle. "Alright, I'm going to get a nurse to unhook you from the heart monitor. I'll do the checkout paperwork while you get dressed. Come find me at the nurse's station." She clips her cape back on as she is leaving.

A few minutes later a nurse in white scrubs with yellow ducks on them walks in. She is holding a clipboard. "Hello Amy, I'm glad you're awake. Your sister said you are ready to be discharged into the care of New Wave. I have a pamphlet for you and I want to take your vitals down one last time."

She comes around the side of the bed and hands me the pamphlet. It's a corny-looking thing with drawings of different heroes on the front. I recognize Armsmaster, the local leader of the Protectorate from social events. Of course, there are the triumvirate, the most powerful Parahumans on earth that fight to stop the end of humanity. The pamphlet consists of a short blurb extolling the virtues of the Protectorate and phone numbers for the local and national office.

"Alright, Amy, I have your vitals and I'm done. Are you ready to be released? Remember you need to see your primary care physician soon and we have already sent your test results over. Your parents also have a copy. Everything looked good." She unclips the monitor from my finger.

"Yeah, thanks. I don't like hospitals much."

She lets out a short hum. "It's no problem, I'll leave you to get dressed now."

As soon as the door closes behind her I am out of the bed opening the duffle. As I do, two more stars burst into life in my mind's eye. As thankful as I am for them, I ignore them in favor of getting dressed. I smile as I notice which shirt she brought me. 'Sarcasm is an essential element of my personality', it reads. We must be flying home because she also brought me sweat pants and a jacket. I am dressed, dour-eyed, and spiky-tailed. Time to face the day.

I pick up the duffle and open the door of the room to find myself in a circular bay. There is a nurse's station off in the middle with two nurses doing paperwork. At even intervals around the bay are doors leading to other empty hospital rooms. Vicky is leaning against the counter nose buried in her phone. A Parahuman Response Team trooper is waiting by the door clearly marked exit. The trooper looks dangerous in their dark purple and forest green body armor. It would make them much more approachable if they weren't wearing a black mirrored visor.

"Hey Vicky, are we ready to go?"

"Yeah, I was just telling Aunt Sarah we are on the way home. She's going to meet us there." Vicky puts her phone away in her skirt's button-up pocket and gestures for me to follow her out the door.

As we go out the door I suddenly hear the ocean. The bright morning sun causes me to shield my eyes. But something is off, the light is tinted green. I turn away from the sun and look up at the shimmering green dome that extends from a large tower. They did not take me to just any hospital.

I'm on the Protectorate headquarters in the middle of the bay. This is my first time having a reason to visit the repurposed floating oil rig. And it seems like I won't get to play tourist. The PRT trooper follows us out of the medical facility and with a gruff "This way" we set off in the direction they indicate with them in the lead. There is not much to see, just some buildings with numbers and 'no public entry' written on them. The PRT trooper keeps up a brisk pace until we arrive at a freight elevator.

We go down to a floor almost even with the water. It is a Parking garage and mechanics shop filled with the sound of air tools spooling. The ocean is louder here. The PRT trooper leads us to a pier where they are unloading more vehicles for the shop. "Make sure your transponder is active. You're cleared for flight, follow the buoys back to the shore. Do not deviate from the boating lane. The defense system of the headquarters is active."

Vicky gets a dark look on her face. "Right, I'm not in the mood to be shot again. I will definitely stick to the lane." She seems to shake off her dark mood as quickly as it came and offers me a smile. "Alright Amy, are you ready to fly?" Before I can do more than nod she has swept me off my feet into a bridal carry. I hide my blush by pulling up my hood. This is the third time she has taken me flying. My stomach drops out as we accelerate out over the water.

I watch the Protectorate headquarters as we exit but the shimmering green dome means that it is like trying to look through frosted glass. I will have to come back to do power testing, maybe I can get a tour then. Vicky flies up at an angle until her watch beeps three times in rapid succession letting us know that we are as high as we should go while near the headquarters.

"Hang on a bit tighter Amy. I am about to go fast!" I do as she says, tightening my hold around the back of her neck. We rocket forward again. Vicky's top speed is around eighty miles per hour. I don't think she is going that fast but the chill I am experiencing in the summer sun with a jacket on tells me it is fast enough! The Protectorate headquarters rapidly recedes into the distance. We are off the water in minutes and flying south over the beach. People below mostly don't notice us but there are a few taking pictures or waving. I would flip off the picture takers but last time I got a three-hour lecture about how my actions reflect on the family.

We turn inland again, heading towards the tower's community. It's not long before we are landing at home on the balcony of Vicky's room. She puts me down letting me lean against her for a moment. My legs have fallen asleep every time we have gone flying. Taking my weight off of Vicky I shake my legs out and I look out over our backyard.

It is mostly taken up by a large pool. What little area is left has been cemented over so dad doesn't have to mow. The two umbrella tables are folded up and the BBQ pit is covered in a tarp. I can't wait till next month, the fireworks over the Protectorate headquarters are always a sight. Every year we have a family party in the backyard then go out on a charter boat to watch.

Vicky slides open the security door and the glass door to her room. I am surprised to see the room is trashed. A dresser drawer has been overturned and thrown on the white and gold duvet of her bed. There is a metal trash can with a dent in the side and the contents across the floor. Her vanity table is not in much better shape. Nail Polish bottles are laying on their sides and her purse has been overturned on the table. Seemingly unconcerned with the mess Vicky unclips her cape and throws it on the bed.

"Amy, I'm going to tell aunt Sarah we're home. You should really go get a shower."

"Yeah, alright, I will be down in a bit." Huh, I am getting used to the stars. I almost didn't notice them appearing that time. I head out of her room to gather my things for a shower. I quickly pass through the hallway stopping long enough to grab towels out of the closet. Stepping into my room, I'm happy to see that it is still in pristine condition. I toss the towels on my green bed then I open my blackout curtains rather than flipping on the ceiling fan light. The ghost of Saturday's memory sends a shiver down my spine but I push it away.

I walk into my closet and go to turn that light on. But between one blink and the next, I find myself standing on a flat gray expanse and looking up at a being of Galaxies. It leans towards me and conversationally says, "You know you should stop allowing her to sit you on my anvil. If I had been working it could destroy you both. As punishment for entering my workshop uninvited, you will both be barred from your worlds for fifty years. Perhaps you will find heroes out in the multiverse to help your world."

"What! I don't even know how I got here. Much less who you are!" The being turns and a searing beam of light issues from its mouth impacting something off in the distance. Suddenly I remember. It hit me with a fucking hammer!

It looks at me again. "My apologies, I did not know your memories were being suppressed. I am the Ascended Builder, I have granted your benefactor access to a portion of my power. And through them, you have gained some measure of this power. Put simply, your benefactor has some ability to divine the future. They have seen you as a suboptimal host only after choosing to bond with you. I was asked to fix you. They questioned the quality of my work and brought you here again. I have no time for such nonsense. If they do not want to wait for the changes to settle you will be cast into the deep end and forged in adversity. Good luck."

"But wait! If it's not my fault why am I being punished?"

I blink again and feel the universe spin around me like I am being cast adrift in a small boat. I close my eyes trying to will away the nausea. Two more stars bloom into my mind's eye then it feels like a gate comes down shutting off the wellspring of power. All of these confusing and conflicting sensations cause me to blackout completely.

When I wake up again I'm laying in a bed. My stomach and head are still spinning. I lean over the side of the bed and dry heave. That done I lean back and just doze waiting to feel better.

Eventually my composure returns and with it I begin to feel thirsty. I get out of bed and look around. The walls and floor of the room are stone and there are two wooden doors. One leads to a large bathroom with a walk-in shower. The other leads to a sitting room. There is a couch facing a fireplace but no other amenities. There is an arch separating the kitchen from the living room. The kitchen has two large stone basin sinks with blue and red stone buttons. I press the blue button and let the water run into the basin. Before I drink I turn my power back on. The water has no germs at all in it. I don't know if that means it is safe to drink but I'm thirsty enough not to care.

After my drink, I continue exploring but there is not much else to see in the house other than the stone stove. I go back through the living room and out the door. On stepping out of the house the first thing I see is an enormous obsidian black stone pillar. It is so tall that I can't see the top. The second thing is the dust storm. It's blotting out the sun. There seems to be a forcefield effect around the house because no sand has made its way onto the lawn of moss. I walk off the step and do one circuit around the house but there is nothing interesting behind it. Just more moss. I make my way to the stone pillar. As I get closer I can see it's covered in fractals. The base is set in crystal and radiating out from the base are twenty crystal circles. Each with a number inside.

Carefully I make my way past the circles without stepping into one. I step onto the crystal base of the pillar as soon as I do the whole thing lights up. Every fractal on the pillar turns into a riot of color and the crystal glows pale blue. Before I can take another step my mind is assaulted with information. Each circle is a teleportation device and the pillar is the same thing just shaped to dock a spaceship on. I can't see the top because it's in space. I can use the pillar to enter any ship I own. But it says I have none. Circle number one is the only one that is active.

 

[My_Game_Account]

Previously on Amy's Divine Operating Theatre:
Amy connected to a multidimensional parasite named World Shaper that granted her the ability to reshape biology to her whim. World Shaper then had others of its kind look into the future to find out Amy kinda sucks with biology powers.

In a fit rage World Shaper contacted a higher being who agreed to "fix" Amy for a price. The deal was struck and Amy was returned to her dimension with even more power available and no time passing. World Shaper had another future reading done but found no difference. Once more in a fit of rage World Shaper brought Amy before the higher being. The being cast them both out into the wider multiverse and barred them from their home dimensions for fifty years. Thus begins the universe hopping adventure.

Chapter 2

In disorientation from the information, I pitch forward. I catch myself against the pillar and feel myself drug upward at breakneck speeds. I stumble again when I reach the top from the sudden feeling of deceleration. The new room I find myself in is a large clear bubble with sixty numbered airlocked doors. The floor is translucent and looking down through it I can see the planet. The dust storm rages across the entire surface.

"Crap… I can't just wait for the storm to die down." I say to myself. "Now, how do I get back down?" At the thought, the pillar fades back into view blocking out the earth. A single circle lights up around me and I feel the sensation of speed as I'm accelerated down.

Stumbling away from the pillar and back to the house I already know that I am going to have to use the active teleport. There was no food in the house and I don't know how long a planet-wide dust storm will last. I finally take the shower that I've been wanting and after I finish I sit down in the living room. I don't know what I'll face on the other side of the teleport so I need to prepare.

The last time I messed with the stars it caused me to blackout but I gained versatility in my power. Before I can think about it too hard I spend six stars. But only half of one is sucked away. Suddenly I know without a doubt that I was using my power wrong during the mall incident. There were few enough patients that I could have taken the time to check their conditions and sort them myself. Well only if I had this knowledge.

I now know how to perform general surgery, be a first responder in emergencies and how to be a pharmacist. I can also feel that my reflexes have been enhanced. There is a low rumble and a part of the wall beside the fireplace slides down revealing a new door.

Going into the room I see that there is a single blue duffle bag. It contains one clean blood-and-dirt-repellent jumpsuit, facemask, and a modern first responder's kit. Assorted drugs and painkillers, and a few roughly bound texts on mutant and human care.

Flipping through the book the most interesting thing is the section on the v-virus. It causes mutations that are beneficial in combat. The section on werewolves is neat as well. It seems to be a mutation caused by radiation. I pack everything back up and take the duffel into the living room, sitting it beside the couch. I know that my power can provide more when I give it more stars so I try again spending five and a half stars.

As they all drain away I know that I have done it. I got something that will help me survive! There is a clunk from the room that just opened and I know what is in it. Biological armor in a charging station. I rush back into the room intent on wearing it. There is a large locker set against the back wall. I open it revealing… a white bodysuit with gold trim. It might be more appropriate to call it a body glove, like divers use. I reach out and then hesitate. If I put this on I will be in New Waves colors.

For the first time since I got here, I allow myself to think about what the being of stars had said. Fifty years before I'm allowed to go home. I'll be old and everyone I ever knew will have forgotten about me. I'll be just a memory to Vicky. I feel tears run down my cheeks. I dash them away. Now is not the time to be sentimental. I have to survive first then I can worry about the fact everyone I love might be old and gray by the time I see them again. The tears keep coming but I ignore them, reaching out and running my hands over the bodysuit.

On the left breast of the suit is a symbol. It reminds me of a bird's head with half a glyph of the sun surrounding it. It is gold-tinged pink. The bird's eye shimmers. I quickly kick out of my shoes and clothing before I can keep thinking about Earth Bet. The bodysuit is form-fitting but perfectly sized. The inside feels like it is lined with silk. I zip up the suit and put on the gloves. I wish that there was a mirror. I'm sure that I look fine. Vicky had me exercising with her so what little pudge I had was no more.

The suit starts to hum and tightens slightly, making me jump. I feel a redistribution of the weight from my chest to my back and side muscles. The relief on my middle and lower back is immediate. The humming tapers off into nothing and I know that I can summon the armor from digital space now. I close my eyes and feel along my power connection. My power eagerly jumps to my request manifesting the suit of armor around me. At the same time, the biological view blooms in my mind's eye again. I can feel that it is impossible for me to call the armor without the power active.

I focus my power trying to feel out the armor. I know where everything is thanks to my perception of it but the DNA of the armor eludes me. The trigger of the power shot rests in my right hand under my pointer finger while the charge shot trigger rests under my thumb. God, I've been staring off into space buried in my own head. I know that it's better than breaking down but it's not the way home. On my way out of the house, I stop long enough to grab the duffle bag, nearly cutting it on the knife-like fins on the left arm of the suit.

Standing before the teleport circle again I take a deep breath and step into the circle. The circle activates and the universe spins. The gate that shut off my connection to the stars opens back up. I fall to my knees fighting off nausea. My head stops spinning and my nausea recedes after a couple of seconds. I look up savoring the feeling. I hope that teleport travel becomes easier. I freeze.

There is a firefly-like thing standing like a human. Its body is black with a blue chest and abdomen. There are two yellow stripes across its front: one on its chest and one near its legs. A red band separates each limb from its body and a thicker, incomplete one surrounds its shoulders. Two small wings extend from the band around its shoulder. It has a blue human-like face with yellow eyes and curly yellow antennae with black stripes. It has a spherical glowing yellow butt which it is waving in my general direction.

There is a tittering laugh sound from behind me. I turn to see a creature that is remarkably similar in body shape but it has a blue face and large, slanted blue eyes with purple markings at the corners. Surrounding its head are purple curls that frame its face. Its antennae are small and yellow. Its body is black with a blue belly and a yellow bib marking. Its arms and legs are black and are connected to the body by purple borders. It also has small wings. Both of the creatures stand about two feet tall and are ridiculously cute.

I doubt that they could hurt me if they wanted to. But I'm still leaving my armor on. You never know what might be around that eats cute two-foot-tall bugs. The booty-shaking bug stops and gives me an indecipherable look. It slowly approaches like it doesn't want to startle me. And when it gets close enough it mimes that it wants me to stand up. I do so and it reaches up to place its paw in my hand. It is surprisingly strong as it pulls me over to a fallen log and bids me to sit down. After it has moved me out of the way it resumes shaking its butt at the other one.

By some signal that I can't see both bugs take leave of the ground and face each other. They proceed to hold each other and dance something I would swear is the tango while flying.

I take a look at the clearing I've found myself in. There is a small pond to one side reflecting the enormous moon. The trees are so big. I have no idea what kind they are. One of them has big blue fruit growing on it. After a few minutes of watching the bugs, they stop dancing and return to me.

The one with the bib hops up on the log beside me and Glow Butt starts shaking its butt at me intentionally this time. I turn on the speakers of my armor to the lowest level and say, "I'm sorry I can't dance or fly." It responds with a plaintive whine and flies up to eye level with me.

It grabs my hand and pulls. I may have to up my threat rating of these things because when it pulls, I move. Coming to my feet I laugh. "Alright, no harm in it." I set down my bag then let it lead me to the middle of the clearing and it takes my free hand but seems to have trouble deciding what to do with my cannon. Eventually it grabs the edge of it and starts leading me through some type of ballroom dance. Slow and easy. I'm not sure what to think. My first real experience on an alien world is dancing under a silver full moon in an idyllic forest clearing. It's like something out of a fairy tale.

There is suddenly the sound of earth rumbling. My two new friends fly to me and start pushing me away from the sound towards the tree with the blue fruit. Glow Butt hops up on the lowest branch and gestures for me to follow. I may have had the wrong type of fairy tail in mind. The night is starting to seem dangerous.

I switch the arm cannon to grapple beam mode and instructions pop up on the hud. It is a little video of me pressing the thumb button to fire the grapple beam and then press the button under my pointer finger to reel myself in.

I take aim at the tree limb above Glow Butt and fire. The hud moves on to the next sequence reeling myself in. I press the trigger under my pointer finger very gently and it starts to work. I increase pressure on the trigger until I am close enough to the tree that I can place my feet on it and walk up it while being reeled in. I continue following instructions to land on the limb Glow Butt is hovering above.

Once they see that I'm safely in the tree both bugs fly towards the sound. There is a roar and the earth shakes again. A mass of green snakes boils into the clearing. Bib bug flies back up along the tree with something in its arms. But the bug moves too fast for me to get a good look.

I switch back into arm cannon mode and keep a wary eye on the forest floor. Soon enough the thing that had been roaring burst into the clearing. It has a blunt snout and large ears. There is a small horn on its forehead, a single spine on each ear, and a line of spikes running down the length of its back. Each hand has three short claws that look wicked in the moonlight. Its lower jaw, the front of its abdomen, and two plates on its chest are a lighter color than the rest of it. It has a thick tail which it slams down causing the earth to shake again. The hit causes a lot of gore where snakes had been under the tail.

Glow Butt flies back into the clearing the moonlight seems to cascade towards it and focus on its light and being drawn in. Then a searing beam illuminates the clearing as it fires into the snakes. The beam leaves a small trail of destruction. But there are so many snakes it hardly seems to matter.

Bib flies back down into the fray going for the back of the spiky monster. Bib flies away again with something in its arms. This time I get a better look. It's the baby version of the spiky Mother Monster. And that settles my thoughts on the matter.

Once Bib is out of the way again I lay myself flat along the branch and take aim at the leading edge of snakes. My visor darkens slightly as I charge up a shot and fire. The knockback from the charge shot nearly flips me over the edge of the branch. Fortunately for me, the armor took most of the recoil instead of hurting my arm. I don't know why but I was expecting a beam like the one from Glow Butt.

I suppose I should have taken the name charge shot more literally. I flip back over to catch a glimpse of Bib flying up with another baby. It looks like they are all off of Mother Monsters back now. A light blue aura engulfs her; she swipes her tail and a wave of snakes die. The blue aura flares brighter, she sweeps her tail in the other direction and another wave of snakes dies.

Glow Butt continues firing beams however it is slowing down. Green light sparks across its antenna. Building up until there is a strong glow. The glow is fired down and seems to form a conduit between some of the snakes and Glow Butt. The group of snakes stops moving and Glow Butt perks back up a bit.

Bib flies back down again, a black mist seems to issue from its shadow. Then I hear the droning of tiny insect wings. Wherever the mist of insects touches snakes start to wither. Another swath of snakes die. Quite a bit over half of the snakes are dead. This seems to be the tipping point because the rest start trying to flee back into the forest. Mother Monster lets out another screeching roar and falls to her knees.

I switch to the grapple beam and lower myself out of the tree. Bib and Glow Butt are still harassing snakes on the edge of the clearing. By the time I have reached the bottom of the tree she is flat on her face. I slowly approach Mother Monster. I keep my speakers low and talk in a calm tone.

"Hey, I'm here to help. Just relax. I'm going to see if I can fix you up." I de-res my armor and leave my power active. She doesn't move as I take off a glove and touch her. The smell of the viscera all around is making me feel green again. But I push through the feeling to focus on my patient. My power maps out her biology agonizingly slowly.

She is nothing like a human. There are fist-sized sacks of poison under each of her back spines. Her scales are thick and large. But she has gouges all over her. It looks like she is immune to poison thankfully. Unless those snakes are much stronger than I think, they couldn't have done the damage I'm seeing. Normal fangs shouldn't pierce her scales. And this is for sure a girl.

Finally, my power finishes mapping out her body. There are still eight blank areas so I have to hope they are not damaged. I'm afraid to deaden her nerves because of the blank areas. I force out all the snake venom. I make the blood welling up in the wounds coagulate. Then I get started on the damaged bones. Her pelvis is shattered at three points. I move the bones back together and she screeches in pain.

But she doesn't flail around like I was afraid of. Instead her body tenses and releases. Some of her poison drips out of her spines. None of it gets on me. One of the areas I can't see starts to expand. Then the other seven start to shrink. Her heart stops. Her brain activity slows down. I watch in horror as she dies.

When I finally pull my hand away. I don't know what to do with myself. I want to keep trying to help her but there is nothing left. I feel cold and empty. Bib flies down and herds me towards the pond. I wash my hand and splash my face with water. I redon my glove as she leads me back to the tree. I get ready to resummon my armor but before I can Glow Butt and Bib have each grabbed one side of me and fly me up towards the canopy of the tree.

They gently set me down on a branch that has a giant nest on it. In the nest are two children off of the Mother and one egg with a color scheme similar to them. I take my glove off again and check the babies for wounds. Except for one small snake bite they are okay. I hesitantly touch the egg. It feels like a heartbeat. But my power views the inside as a blank void similar to what was inside the mother but not the same.

Touching living things recenters me. I slip into the nest next to the babies and wrap myself around the egg while touching the other two with my hands. Bib and Glow Butt settle in by my head. We all fall asleep like that.
When I wake up again Bib is shaking me and pointing at a buffet of the blue fruit in the middle of the nest. The sun is just casting its first rays over the horizon. I sit up cross-legged and Bib wakes up the other two babies to point them at the food. Each of them rolls one of the luscious fist-sized fruits out of the pile and starts eating.

I pick one off the top and smell it. It smells like a regular blueberry. I rip the supple fruit in half to find it has a pit the size of a cherry. Dark juice from the fruit drains down where I have ripped it. I hesitantly lick it. It tastes like a nectarous plum! As I bite into the fruit a single star blooms into my mind's eye. I'm not sure which is better: the star or the fruit. I'm leaning towards the fruit. But wait, wasn't I getting two stars at a time before? Well whatever, it's not like I have someone I can complain to. I happily eat my fill of the fruit.

After everyone has eaten and I have put my gloves back on, Glow Butt and Bib fly the babies and egg back down to the ground. After that, they grab me again and fly me down. By the time we land the babies are gone. It's just the egg and the dead mother in the clearing. Glow Butt and Bib fly back up toward their nest… and I don't think they are coming back.

I stare balefully at the giant egg. Eventually it wins the contest of wills so I pick it up. The log I sat on last night has been overturned but my bag is fine if a bit dirty. I place the egg in my bag, re-don my armor and gently put on the bag so as to not break the egg.

Before I set out I grab a bunch of fruit off the tree and put it in with the egg. The pond looks tainted with viscera floating on it so I don't drink from it. "Let's see the sun rises in the east. So if I put it on my left shoulder that should put me going south."

I head out into the wilderness with my new companion.