I learn little that relates to the system’s quest from the wolf, but that doesn’t mean our talk is useless. Now that I think about it, it seems almost strange for the system to give me this quest, especially given how rare quests are supposed to be. But instead of letting that bother me, I just take what I learn with a palpitating heart. It could just be a quirk of the instance for new integrants.

The wolve’s circumstances are closer to what I had found out about the goblins than I had expected. I don’t know the exact details, but the whole rabid disease thing is just another layer on top.

That does indicate to me, that perhaps I was overthinking things. It’s not about me finding out the real scheme behind their desire to kill, but finding the cure for their affliction, which could alter things for us, but might not change the system’s compulsion to attack that also afflicts them. Perhaps that was the whole of what the system offered me to accomplish, instead of hiding any deeper meaning, but after touching upon it, I can’t let things resolved halfway.

The compulsion, even if at first seemed the same, followed different rules from what I had observed from the shaman. Although his instincts pushed for him to bite my hand off, he manages to control himself as long as I don’t push my luck. He didn’t need to even pretend to attack me.

The whole rabid thing more and more sounded like a particular punishment for something else rather than having to do with their ‘enslavement’ to me. Still, with a few more clues I might be able to deduce where the source of this corruption comes from, or at least begin to advance and find the answer I was looking for. Even if not quite the larger quest I had built up in my mind, it was still something I needed to do.

As I’m about to say goodbye and be on my way, a thought comes to mind.

I break our contact and call on the Rabbit council. In the end, I mostly communicate with Aster, but even if she is the oldest and the most familiar with me, the other colonies need their own representation.

The wolf sniffs the air seconds after I open the portal and his hackles go up for a moment.

“NO, NO, no, no.” Aster sends me.

“I haven’t even asked anything yet.”

“I KNOW you. I KNOW his type. He is not welcome here.” The impression is extremely sharp and I continue to watch him intently as his interest is peaked.

You can smell prey, you just can’t see it. Can you control yourself is the question?

“This is a good chance for you to develop your skills in dealing with predators like him and I would be watching things closely if he wanted to visit or live in the inner world.”

“URGH.” Aster kicks and screams for a minute, something particularly uncharacteristic from the oldest rabbit in all the colonies as far as I’m aware. She’s basically the inner world Matriarch. But eventually steam runs out and she settles before continuing: “You are right… but I don’t like this. He barks wrong and I’m kicking him out.”

“I understand and if he causes problems I will make sure he is not coming back to the inner world, but I believe we should give him at least one chance.”

A simpler image, something without the encapsulated concept of words, closer to what they use to communicate with each other.

Agreement.

Welcome the wolf.

The wolf had been watching the entire interaction closely, and I guessed he understood more than he let on, but I explain it all to him.

“Now, I like the rabbits, so no chowing on them. They are your seniors in the inner world. ”

“Bunnies so tasty.” He repeats, with an undercurrent I can’t fully comprehend behind it, but I get enough.

“Stop that. Don’t even kid about eating their young or I will uninvite you. No more Inner World. Now, do you want in?”

“Yes. But it is too small. Not living, visiting.”

“Hmmm, Ok. It is your choice. Do you want to come in now?”

He assents and I open up a large portal to let him in. I keep my eye out for a few minutes just to see if he doesn’t simply go berserk, but for all their initial bustler their interactions are fairly… amicable.

Whatever madness the whole rabid thing induces, he managed to rise above it. Even if the disease still pushes his buttons, he knows to keep his head screwed on. It’s an incredible achievement to develop himself mentally so much on his own. Interacting with the Bunnies should be to everyone’s gain.

With a totally different outlook, I come back to the problem whirling away in the back of my mind.

People need a way to manipulate space along with their space bag.

I had one idea pop into my mind to ease the transition, but even after a little while, I’m not sure about its feasibility. Keeping the pocket of space in constant contact with the outside world may not be possible, but something else should be: making a temporary doorway. Preparing a small section that will be easier to open with whatever method I settle can’t hurt.

With the last step divided into two, I begin to work on this Idea.

Interlocking plates, thinner membranes, and zipper style openings. I test and retest them all. Variations on everything that feels it might work. Progress is quick on each of my ideas, but there is a lot to work on, so it still takes me a couple more hours.

As I approach the limits of what I can do with my current understanding and ideas, the creeping tightness from my ‘waste’ of time right before the class trial comes back. I took half of the last step, but I couldn’t call it now, not when I am so very close.

Concern

Aspen’s mental image breaks my concentration and I smile. I shouldn't worry the little guy, so I send back the only thing I can: the truth.

Trying to create… failing.

Not failing, the recipients of your gift will fail.

Same difference.

Confusion

Aspen and Aster sometimes learn a lot more than I expected, but without a lot longer getting used to the Hybrid English based language we use we are bound to come across expressions they aren’t familiar with, and they will go over their heads.

I extend my will and play with the overlapping pocket of space right in front of me. Not trying to do anything yet, just thinking. That’s when I see a root poking out of the inner world and Aspen driving it into the space I’m working on.

Through our link, I can feel very clearly as he exerts his will. Powerful as it is, he doesn’t hit the right note and space doesn’t even bend. Unperturbed he tries again and again.

I… Help… You.

He sends to me which has only one answer:

I… Grateful

I really appreciate his thought, even if he is failing to bend it slightly. He won’t be of much help to building better ‘mechanisms’ than I can, if this keeps up. Even acting as a helper will take a good while. A little bit of my thoughts leaks through our connection and he huffs in indignation.

I… can… do it. I… can… HELP.

The barest of twitches of the ‘doorway’ manifests right in that instant. As I move my mouth up and down, he repeats the feat a second time, a third, a fourth. Right when I think of calling him off, the path I ought to take is laid out before me.

Calling on one of the most developed of the seeds that he brought to consciousness in the inner world, I ask:

Can you imitate Aspen? Move space?

With his limited field of awareness and basic control over the root network, it takes him a few seconds to see and understand what Aspen is up to. Then he replies to me excitedly.

Try. Try. Try. Aspen is cool Nisan.

How the heck do they learn such random expressions while lacking a lot more basic stuff? I don’t talk like that…ever!

Regardless, his understanding and encapsulation of ideas into words are coming along very nicely, and pride blooms in my chest as I watch their growth.

Coordinating with Aspen, a hundred other small seeds start to work with a similar goal in mind.

From the corner of my eye, I watch trying to understand their strengths and limitations.

I look at the only two pockets of space I have. They won’t be enough, so I go back to the inner world and start cutting more. I will need at least one to experiment for myself and the others should have a few to practice on.

An hour later, completely numb from the severing of space tied to my very being, I go back and start exploring how to work them based on the seed’s capabilities. The intervening time gave plenty of ideas, now is the time to put them into practice.

Smaller sustained efforts in a small area are not a real challenge for the little guys, the limitations they face are others, chief amongst them is their limited mental stamina.

That means something akin got a zipper in the last layer should be the theoretical best chioces, but their complexity and failure rate disqualify them from running, at least for this first iteration, with more time it may become a more feasible option.

Though the zipper becomes a moot point as I have an even better idea.

With a simpler design, I make a push button that deforms a thin layer of space attached to it until a hole is open. Or at least that is the theory. Best of all, it is not nearly as finicky as the zipper style opening would be while generating a small round opening, instead of the wearied shape a zipper would create.

I start making the push bottom as small as possible but also as light to push as possible with a long travel length from open to closed and vice versa. It shouldn't activate randomly this way even going through some type of spatial distortion and the seeds will still have a fairly easy time working with it.

As I get up to call for someone to test a devious plan comes to mind. A plan that will let others carry whatever they want back to Earth, and from the back of my mind I conjure the reason this had been nagging at me. Why reason I wanted this so bad.

The void doesn’t affect anything living inside someone’s body. So when they go through the long journey back to Earth the seeds and anything tied to the should survive just fine. I don’t have a lot of information about the Void, but with the glimpses from my book, I’m tentatively confident in my assumption.

For that, the pocket of space has to be tied not to a wooden plate or more likely a fancier and therefore smaller metal plate, but to a living seed which should bypass this ‘hard rule’ against taking the instance’s items back home.

Rebuilding will greatly accelerate if we can carry a few things back. Though it’s not like we can just carry back the entire village, nor should we. But smaller items like weapons, armor and so much more are all good choices.

Rebuilding the entire information network and batteries along with other stuff from the village would take time, especially as the people that returned later would not be there right at the start to help rebuild it. There was plenty of stuff that without someone like me or Merlin would be outside most engraver’s repertoires. It didn’t matter that they culd engrave 99 percent of the formation if the last one percent is a critical piece that is missing.

Although the very first people going back will have not even what we developed until now, next month a par of people could head back with the few ‘trinkets’.

Best of all, it won't just rely on me to do all this transporting, but quite a few other people as well. Splitting one of the seeds apart from the main group I start my work. Linking it to the small root network inside my own body that surrounds my organs, I start to form the runes to attach a small space to myself.

I may not exactly need something like this for myself, but I had to get it working somehow before calling people over.

With just a few more mana points and a deft hand, the small formation ties the space to my rough center of mass and then is it the time of truth.

Can you open it? I ask the little seed.

Will try.

A smile blooms on my face, as the tiny tendril of will heads forward. Much more focussed and familiar with space than Aspen an hour ago, but lacking the raw strength.

It pushes forward the ‘button’ I made. A centimeter forward, five, ten and finally the full travel: twelve. The mechanism ‘unlocks’ and a small opening hovers mid air akin to the portals to the inner world. I throw a chunk of dirt on it and it works beautifully.

A handful of dirt splattered all over the inside, just as if my inner world was a tiny little thing like this.

I feel his mental effort starts to exhaust him and I call him off. As soon as his will starts receding, the portal shrinks and collapses.

The space inside is closed to the outside world, but a grin comes unbidden to my face.

Yes. I have done it, we have done it. That’s what I like. Now I just have to polish it up here and there before cranking them out.