FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The Victoria Chronicles

**Chapter 04

A Blank Slate**

Vic found herself in a strange place. She was surrounded in a white void with nothing to be seen in any direction.

After looking around herself for a short bit she understandably jumped the wrong conclusion.

"Holy shit! I'm dead!"

She nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice replied close by. "Not quite. But do try not to get shot again."

Vic looked about herself, but didn't see anything apart from the void. "Who said that?!"

"You may call me Percii."

"Percy?" Vix said to the void.

"No no. It's Percii." Percii said, "As in P.E.R.C.I.I. As in Portable Energy Receiver Carryall Inventory Interface. Or just Percii for short. I'm the quantum computer affixed to your left wrist."

"...ok?" Vic said uncertainly. "Soo...if I'm not dead, then where am I?" she said, deciding to leave that part about a talking computer grafted to a part of her body for the time being.

"You've actually not gone anywhere. You are in fact in your own head, while your body lays unconscious. This is a partitioned part of your own mind where the three of us can discreetly talk with clarity and without outside distraction." Percii explained.

"Right..." Vic said looking around again before picking up on a crucial part of that last sentence. "Wait, three of us?"

"Yes. The Mistress would lick to introduce herself and apologize." Percii said.

"Mistress?" Vic asked confused.

"Hello child." Another unseen voice said from the void, "I am Visalth. I am what you could call a dimensional traveler and explorer. Or at least I was before coming to your world a long time ago. And before we get into proper introductions I wish to apologize for putting you through so much already. I had hoped to introduce myself physically instead of having to intervene when a certain Mr. Smith decided to involve himself."

"Who is Smith?" Vic asked rubbing her forehead. This was a lot to take in already, and she had the sinking feeling that this wasn't even the tip of the iceberg.

"Smith, or at least that's the pseudonym he is calling himself, is a rogue agent that has been a thorn in our side for quite some time. I was not aware that he was back in the area before our encounter with him. I'm very sorry for not being able to stop him from harming you." Visalth said in her calm soothing voice.

"Yeah, about that. I'm surprised he didn't kill me." Vic said with a bit of anger from the memory.

"Actually he did. You and I both died that night." Visalth said sadly. "For a brief time anyway. Before my assistant brought you back."

"Assistant? There's a fourth person?" Vic said trying to keep up."

"The Mistress is referring to me." Percii said reproachfully.

"Right...so where is, Visalth was it?" Vic asked.

"You mean her physical body." Percii quarried.

"Yes. I haven't seen any aliens wondering around. And although I've been a bit out of it in the few moments of consciousness I had I'm sure the nice people who found me and didn't turn in to some government research lab to be dissected would have mentioned something weirder then me wondering around."

"That's because you survived. The mistress did not." Percii said bluntly.

"I...I don't," Vic stammered trying to find the words and process this new information. "I'm sorry to hear that. But if that's true...how am I hearing her now? Shouldn't she, ya know, be gone?"

"When I died saving you I ascended to a higher plane of existence and consciousness child. Something I was close to doing anyway. Percii merged my physical form with yours to save you while my consciousness became non-corporeal." Visalth explained.

"Ok...so let me see if I'm following this right," Vic said slowly and pinching the bridge where her muzzle met under her eyes, "Percii brought me back from death by merging my body with your body. I assume that's why I look different. What did you look like before this, 'merger' happened?"

"I was the fox you befriended in the woods." Visalth replied, "I've been following you since you came to those woods."

"You were a fox?" Vic said incredulously, "I don't understand. I thought you said that you were an inter-dimensional traveler? That doesn't make any sense!"

"The Mistress has had many forms." Percii interjected. "That 'Fox' was just one of many forms she's taken over the millennia."

"What, like some sort of shape shifter?" Vic said.

"Something like that." Visalth said kindly. "But much more than that."

Vic rubbed her forehead again, trying to dispel the headache she felt coming on from this conversation before getting to the point that she had wanted to ask from the beginning.

"Ok. Fine. That explains why I look like I came out of a CGI fantasy film I guess." Vic said trying to keep her rising anger in check. "So can I ask one simple question and get a simple answer?"

"Of course child." Visalth replied.

"Why the hell am I a damn female!!!" Vic shouted.

"Well..." Percii stated hesitantly. He'd been dreading this part. "You ever try combining two vastly different life-forms at the genetic and quantum levels before?"

"Of course I haven't you bloody idiot!!" Vic replied still shouting. She had been holding her anger for quite some time over this.

"Well it's not a very easy thing to do." Percii said. "There's a lot of stuff to rip apart, build back together, rewrite, fabricate. There's matter that had to be redesigned from the molecular level, DNA re-sequencing, all sorts of fiddly bits that have to be sorted out meticulously in order for the life-form to survive. Let alone one that was already living and thinking. A personality to keep intact. All that stuff and more." He said reproachfully, somehow managing to sound superior though it all. "And then there is the fact that the two are from different dimensions where the laws of physics don't entirely mess together. It's all very wibly-wobly."

"So you turned me into a freak!?!?"

"He saved your life." Visalth said in a kind and soothing tone that actually managed to get through Vic's anger and settle her a bit. Like a loving mother trying to calm an upset child.

"Well...yeah. I guess there is that." Vic said turning her head away and looking down at the non-existing floor. "I guess I should be thankful for that." She said slightly embarrassed but still seething a bit.

"But wait." Vic said suddenly, "If he could save me why couldn't he save you?"

"It was past my time to go."_Visalth said, _"I've existed for far longer than you can imagine. And there is a terrible event coming to your world. Something that I need your help with. Something that I could not see clearly before my ascension. I had hoped to ask for your help before Smith intervened, instead of thrusting this on you so suddenly."

"Why me?" Vic asked curious despite her still conflicted feelings.

"To be quite blunt because I foresaw it before my death." Visalth said cryptically.

"Oh come on!" Vic said with some irritation.

"For some time I've been having visions. Visions of the future. Of a disaster to your world partly of human creation and partly from external forces." Visalth explained, "One where you specifically play a part. Now that my mind has been freed of physical form I can see it all so clearly now."

"Ok..." Vic said uncertainly, "What kind of disaster are we talking about?"

"There we have a problem." Visalth said nervously, "I can't give you any specific details. If I do the strings of the universe get further tangled and events will change. Quite probably for the worse." She said direly.

Vic rubbed to bridge of her muzzle. Despite this being a kind of weird mindscape in her own mind she could actually feel her fingers touch the fur on her face. And what should have been in her opinion an impossible headache within her own thoughts. Further proving that this was no mere dream.

"I need to sit down." Vic said tiredly, "Are there any chairs in this place?"

"Just concentrate on a chair and it will appear." Visalth said helpfully, "This is your inner mind after all."

Vic thought of a comfy recliner. One that her uncle had in his home when she was a kid. Or rather when he was a kid. This was all so confusing. Despite her conflicted feelings the exact chair appeared behind her. An old faded tartan recliner she so remembered from happy trips to visit relatives. A chair that despite rarely being able to sit in unless her uncle wasn't already in it she remembered being the most comfortable seat in the house. Sitting down in it carefully it was still as comfy as she remembered it.

"This would be easier if I had something physical to talk to rather than addressing empty air." Vic said.

A light blue orb appeared nearby and Percii's voice was heard coming from it. "I don't have a set form per say. So this will have to suffice for now."

Next to Percii a vulpine female in Victorian dress appeared. She was taller than Vic. Perhaps 6' 2", and wore a dress befitting an upper class lady.

"That's what you look like?" Vic asked the vixen.

"This is one of my forms that I am most fond of." Visalth said wistfully, "And one of my favorite time periods. So much progress in a short time"

"That's what you looked like in public?" Vic asked in disbelief that Visalth could pull off the vixen look in high society.

"When alone or with trusted friends." Visalth said, "Otherwise most people saw me as a human."

Vic sat in silence for a few seconds before continuing. "Ok, so what the hell am I then?" Vic asked leaning back in the chair with her eyes closed.

"You are now an amalgam of human, vulpine, and Visalth." Percii said plainly, "With some additional improvements thrown in."

"I'm not sure I even want to know." Vic said tiredly, "But somehow I don't see that I have much choice, so what does this all mean?"

"Quite simply you are now a superior being." Percii said.

"Ok, now I really don't like it." Vic said, he anger starting to return, "There's no such thing! All that means is that people who think they are superior to others do bad things to those they see as inferior. History has seen too many of those. As soon as you start treating people differently bad things happen!"

"And that is one of the primary reasons why chose you." Visalth said, "You have a strong moral compass and a kind heart."

Vic didn't say anything for a bit while she parsed this and thought out her next sentence. "So...what makes me different? Aside from looks?"

"Pretty much everything." Percii said, "You are now stronger, faster, can heal faster from injury, can jump higher, see better, all your senses have been augmented and fine-tuned." Percii listed off, "to most you would be considered paramount to a god. Or goddess in your case."

"Nope, no, ah ah ah. NO!" Vic said quickly, "Don't start with that shit either! I am not a god or goddess, I am not a superior being, I am just a simple man, err...whatever I am now!" Vic said pointedly standing up and stamping her foot.

"Calm down child," Visalth said soothingly, "Percii is just Percii. He thinks in raw numbers and tends to be literal."

"Well he can lay off on the superior crap." Vic said calming down somewhat. "Why do you keep referring to me as 'Child'?"

"Because from my perspective you are one." Visalth said.

"Why? Because i am angry about my life being turned upside down and sideways all at once?" Vic asked arching an eyebrow.

"More your age child." Visalth said.

"I'm an adult in his...her mid 40's." Vic said reproachfully.

"I'm old enough to remember the Grecian Empire when it was young." Visalth said simply, "Among other older cultures."

Vic thought about this for a second before asking, "How old are you?"

"Normally I would respond by pointing out that it's not polite to ask a lady her age, but under the circumstances I will simple say that I am older than any living thing on this world and old enough to not comment further. I will add however that I have lived longer than any others of my race." Visalth replied.

"I thought such things were impossible. No earthly creature has lived that long." Vic said somewhat shocked, "Not even the giant redwoods live that long."

"Ah." Percii chimed in, "There you see is the magic word."

Vic ran her last sentence through her mind looking for what Percii was eluding to. "What word is that?"

"Earthly." Percii said smugly.

"You see child, I am not of this world." Visalth said.

"What, you mean like an alien?" Vic said in disbelief.

"In a fashion." Visalth replied, "I am a refugee from a destroyed dimension."

Vic was lost for words while she processed this. One the one hand what she was hearing should be by modern science, impossible. But on the other hand she was example enough that such claims were more likely then she had previously thought.

"What happened to your world?" Vic asked in a more somber tone.

"It was destroyed by creatures from a dimension worse than any hell you could possible conceive of." Visalth said in a sad voice, "And I'm not diminishing your intelligence when I say that. None of us could have imagined it either." Visalth looked down sadly before continuing. "A portal was opened in an effort to find a dimension where our top researchers thought we could find unlimited energy. What we found was our own destruction."

Visalth fell silent for a few minute as she recalled the moment. "Only a few of us escaped. Of those few I am the only one to remain of this planet. Some have either left to explore other worlds in this universe or yours to colonize where they would not be in the way of other intelligent life. Others have passed on from old age or injuries sustained from the forced exodus and sealing of our dimension and the other away. A few were killed by superstitious humans and those who feared our looks and strange ways long ago, persecuting those of us who could not hide how they looked or were found out."

Vic was silent for a while, "I...I'm sorry to hear that"

"Thank you child," Visalth said kindly, "But I have already buried my friends' many centuries ago."

"I...I do appreciate you saving my life," Vic said with genuine appreciation, "But I still do not understand why you have chosen to grant me these...gifts?"

"As I have already made mention, a great horror is coming to your world as well." Visalth said. And with a more dire tone to her voice that Vic had not heard from her up to this point continued, "And agent Smith is at the heart of it."

Vic remained silent for a bit before responding scathingly, "Somehow, I'm not surprised."

"You will face him again child." Visalth replied, "Do not underestimate him. Even with your new abilities he is a dangerous and clever man. Percii will be with you, but my assistance will be limited."

"I'm not really happy about this, but I suppose I have little choice." Vic said after some thought. "What must I do?"

"For now stay with these humble people who have found you. They are caring people, and they will keep your secret. Adjust to your new form and learn how to use your new abilities. For now this is a safe place." Visalth explained.

"What about my friends? I have to find them." Vic said with concern on her mind for her friends. "If this Smith is as you say he is...and from what I've seen I have no reason to doubt what you say," Vic paused as she pushed certain thoughts from her mind, "Then there is no telling what dangers they are in."

"Where would you start looking child? You know not where they are. And until you learn how to utilize your abilities you would be of little help to them. You could even be a danger to them. Be patient, Percii will help you as will I when I can." Visalth explained, "In time an opportunity will present itself. Of this I cannot say more lest the outcome will change to a more unfavorable one for those you care for."

Visalth took a short pause before continuing. "I can't tell you much, but I can tell you this. For the time being your friends are unharmed. You cannot help them now, but when you are strong enough you will be there to help them. But not just now."

"I don't like it. But I see your point." Vic said reluctantly. "So now what?"

"Now, you wake up. We will talk again later." Visalth said.

"How will I find--" Vic started to say before she was blinded by a bright light.