James laid back in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He had been alone in this room for weeks now, with his only visitor being Chel, who stopped by every now and then to give him updates. She had made him promise not to use his detection energy to observe their research, as that would only make him want to get involved even more, but still…

“I’m bored!” He called out with a groan, rolling from side to side as if to find at least something to do. “There are so many things I could be working on right now! I could make a quantum array capable of instantaneously transmitting information halfway across the galaxy without the need for void loops. I could be making an artificial intelligence capable of finding the ideal ratio of energy to fold space. But, I’m stuck in this little room!”

There was a faint giggle that seemed to drift along the air, James blinking as he heard it. Sitting up, he found that there was a new figure sitting at his desk. Furthermore, it was one that he recognized, the kitsune figure which represented Deckan’s World Spirit. “...Is there something for me to do? Please tell me there’s something for me to do.”

His voice was genuinely pleading as he rose from his bed, but the spirit simply shook her head. I come not bearing burdens, but rewards. My sister has heard of your plight through the whispers of the wind.

“...In other words, you told her.” James said in a deadpan tone. The kistune spirit let out a scandalized gasp, one hand going over her chest.

Twas not I! I have no say in what the little ones speak of. Should they learn a certain rumor, and that rumor reach the ears of my sister, is no fault of mine. James simply stared at her, face unchanging. I may have let slip to a little one of the price you paid, and your current state of self-incarceration for the sake of recovery…

He let out a long sigh, shaking his head. “What happened?” He had wanted to avoid the spirit of Fyor finding out about his condition, as he didn’t want to make her feel guilty about what had happened.

The kitsune spirit let out another faint giggle. That sister of mine… so reckless, and so brave. When she learned of your plight, she took it upon herself to save you from your lasting boredom. Venturing into treacherous realms, she sought the means of your freedom, evading predators and scouring great forests.

James furrowed his brow, piecing the information together from what she was saying, his eyes gradually going wide. “She went to the plane of life… is she okay?”

Worry not. Had my sister fallen, we would not be having such a pleasant conversation. The spirit reminded him. I am a firm believer in paying back one’s debts in kind. I requested three favors of you in exchange for a small token of assistance, as I believed the favors I required would similarly be naught but small tokens to one such as yourself.

When it became evident that the effort you put forth was such that it left you on the verge of collapse… a debt must be paid. This is the rule upon which I scatter those cards. Those who perform favors for the world may have a favor in return.

I allowed word to spread to my sister, and then gave her the energy from my own body to reinforce her on her journey. The spirit lifted her delicate arm, pulling back the amber sleeve of her dress to reveal an unnaturally pale arm. I will require naught but time for the energy of the world to restore me. Perhaps only a few days more. Until then, there will simply be a thinner supply of natural energy.

In exchange… my sister was able to find something which may aid you. Lowering her sleeve, the spirit flicked her wrist, producing a shining jewel which radiated a brilliant green glow. Were this to be left in my possession to consume, my recovery would be more than assured. However, as I said… a debt must be paid.

James’ eyes had locked onto the jewel as soon as it appeared, processing the level of energy that it stored. From what he could tell, this item seemed to be the crystallized form of natural energy itself. “Why would she give this to me?”

We are not blind to our kin, however thin the bond may be. The majority of your body is built upon the energy of nature, as is the energy you use. Surely you know of this as well. Although this crystal is unlikely to restore you to your full glory, it should give you ample power to leave your isolation. As she said that, the crystal began hovering in the air, moving towards the dark-skinned researcher.

Naturally, James had discovered long ago that his body was composed primarily of natural energy. It was simply the race that he was born as. However, that was not why he questioned the spirit. Rather, it was because he knew the dangers posed in acquiring this item. He had seen them before, during his travel between the planes of Fyor.

While he did not know how many of these gems were in existence, each of them was guarded by a fierce predator of natural spirits. Even he himself did not venture to provoke such a being without good cause, and did not see the energy needed to do so as worth merely satisfying his curiosity. “...How many times was she destroyed to get it?” He asked as he gently grabbed the gem, holding it as if he were treasuring the emotions attached to it.

The kitsune spirit paused at that, letting out a faint sigh that carried on the wind. She would not tell me. Whenever I asked if she required further aid, she merely said that what she felt could not be compared to what she had been saved from. That she would endure, because she had something worth enduring for.

After saying that, the kitsune rose to her feet, walking over and pressing a hand against James’ arm. She seeks not a romantic interest. What my sister wishes for is a mutual friend. The knowledge that there is someone who would go to any lengths to help her in her time of need… and someone that she in turn would go to any lengths for. For beings such as us, these types of friends are more precious than any bauble. Mortals age and die in the blink of an eye, while gods and spirits have no interest in the matters of the world, only the matters of man. Only one that has proven that they will go to these lengths without seeking reward is truly deserving of it.

After she said that, her body dissolved, turning into flakes of ash that flew out his window. James, left alone with his thoughts, gradually placed the gem up against his chest. He knew that he could create a hundred revolutionary inventions with this item, use it as a source of self-renewing energy that did not depend on the void… but that was not the intent behind the gift. She wanted him to use the jewel to recover.

And so, he allowed the jewel to sink into his chest, its energy infusing into his body. This was the first source of natural energy that he had seen which could be compared to what was found in the layer of Fyor he was born in. Perhaps, it may even surpass that quality of energy. He could feel the power returning to his body, triggering the recovery of his other energies as well.

A few moments later, the door of the room burst open, Chel charging in with a manic look on her face. “James! What are you doing?” She called out, as if afraid that he had done something incredibly stupid.

James simply chuckled, knowing that Chel was only looking out for him. “I just got a gift from a good friend.” He answered with a smile. “How is my recovery looking now?”

Chel looked at him with a complex gaze, her eyes glowing as she scanned his body. “Your body itself… it looks like your recovery is at seventy-eight percent, though your mana and ki are still relatively low. As long as you don’t use those excessively, they should be normal in a day or two. So…” She saw the eager look in his eye, and let out a sigh of resignation. “Yes, you can get back to work. Come on, there’s some stuff that I need to get you caught up on.”

James was practically bouncing for joy as Chel led him down to the research lab. Once there, however, he couldn’t help but freeze up. A small grin crept over Chel’s face as she watched him take inventory of their lab. “You got me a present!?”

Chel let out a hearty laugh, nodding her head. “We knew you’d be out for a while, and the Keeper came through with some assistance. We managed to find you two more primordial relics to test on.”

His body flashed over to the trio of polycarbonate containers, observing the energy fields isolating them. “With these, we might be able to begin manufacturing a Divine Chamber! At the very least, we should be able to synthesize the mechanics behind how they imbue specific domains and manufacture our own.”

Chel nodded again, a soft smile on her face. “We wanted to wait to begin research on this until after you were back. Couldn’t let you miss out on the fun, could we?”

James gave a small nod of his own, before blinking. “What happened with the ninja stuff? Are they still trying to get our projects?”

Chel’s smile turned a bit more mischievous. “The ninjas have had a change in leadership after their leader failed to ascend. Apparently, the growing number of deities throughout the allied worlds left him feeling insecure about his personal power, and he wanted to rush his own ascension.”

Thea stepped away from one of the research tables, holding a clipboard and wearing a pair of safety goggles. “The new elder reached out to us to establish a cooperative relationship. The original goal of the ninja clans was the pursuit of knowledge in the field of energy research. As such, he offered that if we share some knowledge in this field and assist each other, they would allocate some of their manpower to acquire materials that we may have difficulty finding on our own. Whether they are from powerful monsters, dangerous areas, or hoarded by those with high levels of security.”

James listened to the two of them, before turning to face Chel with a raised brow. “You used the Confession Script, didn’t you?” As expected, James knew his former System Companion all too well, able to guess from what he had heard that the elder’s death was no mere accident. After all, such a drastic change in the stance of the ninjas meant that they genuinely believed that what they considered normal previously was wrong.

While such a thing was theoretically possible to occur within the time he was recovering, it was hard to believe that it had happened under these circumstances. It was much more likely that an infectious memetic effect had convinced them that those actions had been wrong all along.

Chel merely stuck out her tongue playfully. “Don’t worry, I sent in the anti-meme to remove the traces afterwards. We wouldn’t want it mutating on us like that time with the space fish.”

“I’m sorry… mutating? Space fish?” Thea asked, blinking. She had already heard the story from Chel about the memetic effect that she had used, but there had never been any mention of it mutating.

Chel simply nodded her head. “If a memetic effect is spread and shared over a wide audience, it has a chance to mutate, just like any idea can grow and evolve if it is spread among the masses. This chance differs depending on the medium of the meme. For instance, if it is transferred via a preset code or program, or by a specific written paper that only affects those who read it, the mutation chance is nonexistent.”

“However…” James continued. “If the meme is spread from one person to another, either through written communication, verbal, or simple thoughts, the mutation chance increases appropriately.”

“Okay… what does this have to do with space fish?” It seemed that Thea was vaguely following along, but was still hung up on this point.

Chel shook her head with a playful grin. “There were space pirates in our old world. In order to get them out of commission, someone sent that same type of Confession Script to them. So, they all began telling each other about their crimes, the meme spreading between them and overlapping enough that it began to mutate.”

“When the pirates stopped attacking ships, everyone assumed that the script had worked, and they had self-destructed. But… their ship was eventually found, the pirates laying on the floor and flopping their bodies from side to side. The script had mutated and caused them all to think that they were simply fish.”

“Of course, the transmission condition mutated as well, infecting anyone who saw these people acting like fish. Three more crews were lost before the effect was contained, with only a vaguely written report describing the event to prevent further transmission.”

Thea’s eyes went wide at that. “You’re saying… that the ninja clan could have all gone out like that?”

“Of course not!” Chel retorted quickly. “I sent in the anti-meme as soon as the elder was out of the way. The trace of the original meme I used has already been destroyed. After the space fish incident, this anti-meme was created specifically to target the Confession Script, so there’s virtually no risk of any residual infection.”

“Virtually?” Thea asked in concern, causing James to grin as Chel cleared her throat.

“Well, if the meme had already mutated partially in someone before the anti-meme was applied, it might not have taken effect. Or if there was someone who had received the original meme, but was outside of the world when the anti-meme was being spread. I left the anti-meme on their base world, so it should hit people as soon as they return, if it’s the latter case.”

“And if it’s the former?” She questioned.

“Well… I hear that Spica’s having a discount on high-nutrient fish food for the next week?” Chel responded in a joking tone, before shaking her head. “Don’t worry, I personally checked everyone that was off-world at the time with some help from upstairs. The traces of the meme are all gone.”