Robert's head was spinning as he regained his bearings and noticed that he was back in the atrium. Although he was alone, he did not feel that way. The night appeared to be gaining as the light disappeared from the glass ceiling. He took a deep breath and noticed that he smelled things that weren't there before. He could distinguish each individual flower's scent and each tree's aroma. He could even smell traces of where Billy had been as he maneuvered through the trees earlier that day. As he studied the smell a blue aura began to fill his line of vision tracing the path that the retired ranger had made.
He closed his eyes to focus on the smells and suddenly his ears began to pick up new sounds. He could hear the wind and sand scratching the glass ceiling above, and the insects moving within the atrium. All these new sensations were overloading his brain. He took another large breath and tried to center himself, but in the process he heard alarms blaring through the walls.
He stood up quickly and headed to the entrance of the room. Robert could hear noises coming from the other side of the doors as he approached them. He tried to open the door with the control panel but it would not budge. So he placed his hands on the door and pushed them open. As he stepped out into the hallway noticed that the main door to the main chamber was open as well.
Robert walked slowly without a sound down the hallway to the open door. There he could see Billy running back and forth between the monitors and control panels. Lights and sounds filled the room with a deafening volume. If he hadn't been watching him closely, Robert could have sworn that Billy was streaking from one location to the other faster than an average human could blink.
The monitors displayed a large mechanical robot battling some kind of monster, followed by a large explosion.
"That was close," said Billy as he managed to slow down enough to form a sentence.
"What do you mean?" asked Robert from the archway.
"I should have known better than to trust non-ranger engineers with ranger technology. They can never truly understand how the Morphing Grid works," said Billy as he powered down some of the consoles.
Robert remained at the door quietly taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of his new environment. Billy caught the dazed looked on Robert's face and smiled.
"Sorry didn't mean to leave you alone back there. The alarms went off and I needed to make sure they didn't blow themselves up," said Billy as he came closer to Robert, which startled the young man. They walked out of the main chamber and back out into the hallway allowing the doors to lock loudly behind them.
"So what do we do now? I feel like I have this wolf thingy ragging inside of me," said Robert as they headed back into the atrium.
"Well in a way you do. Geki has chosen you to bond with. Somehow your energy resonates with his," said Billy as they entered a new room. "This means you should be taking on some of his wolf like characteristics. He's lending them to you so you can better understand him. The intensity may wane after your body gets use to them. But you'll need to be a little more cautious when walking about. Don't want you punching a whole through the wall."
The new room appeared to be a mess hall with a dining areas and a few screens displaying pictures of food. Billy went up to a wall and touched a few icons on a screen. Then a few seconds later a compartment opened and a large glass filled with a shake like liquid appeared.
"The Mess Hall is fully stocked and interactive. You can select what you want to eat and it can prepare it for you in a matter of moments. I mean I still have to get some bugs fixed but it makes a killer strawberry shake," he said as he drank from the glass.
"Okay, but how does this help me with the wolf spirit?" asked Robert.
"Right sorry, I guess since you're academy doesn't offer wolf courses and you serendipitously ended up on my door step, I will have to train you," said Billy.
Robert was stunned. It appears that his trek had finally paid off. He was sure his father would never approved of him choosing the wolf over the shark, but in a way it had chosen him.
"You mean you'll train me? Wait, are you even a Master?" asked Robert.
"Technically no, but since I had a hand in what happened I feel kind of responsible. Hey it's either this or you can continue on your endless journey to find one," said Billy. "I have to remind you though, the longer you go without training the more likely it is you'll lose control and hurt someone."
"I've never heard of the animal spirits hurting anyone," said Robert bewildered by the sudden revelation that he may injure someone with his animal spirit.
"No, usually the animal spirits are tamed and good natured. However, they all have their dark sides and the wolf's dark side is the easiest to manifest. Without proper training it may win out and take over our actions," said Billy as he placed the finished glass in a large basin to be washed. "Now, if you decided to leave I must warn you if you hurt anyone with this power I will take it upon myself to stop you." The sweet smile quickly disappeared from his face. "It's your choice. I'll be in the training room when you decide."