I felt like I was falling, spinning, careening out of control until suddenly, everything stopped. The pain vanished, and I felt solid ground beneath my feet. Hesitantly, I opened one eye, quickly opening the other when I saw where I was. Somewhere I'd never been before.

It was a city, a big one by the looks of it, but the designs were so futuristic, with holograms and television screens on the buildings. I can only stare in wide-eyed wonder as throngs of people pass me on the street. For a second, I wonder where I am until I try and focus on one of the signs. It's blurry, unfocused, and no matter how much I stare at it, it refuses to sharpen into a readable image. Something characteristic of the Reality Lens.

I must still be stuck in the Reality Lens, but…I've never seen a simulation of this magnitude before, let alone one so unfamiliar to me. Is this the same Reality Lens that was having problems creating a replica of one or two rooms? I couldn't believe it.

As I stood there, trying to figure out what was going on, I started to ring. Or, at least, something on me did. I glanced down, trying to find the source of the noise when I realized I was wearing a suit and lab coat like a scientist rather than my regular uniform. Why am I a scientist all of a sudden? This question was put on the back burner as I searched through the coat's pockets, pulling out a cell phone just in time to see I missed the call. However, whoever it was had left a voicemail. Hoping to God that it wasn't about my car's extended warranty, I hit play and held the phone up to my ear.

To my relief, it's a familiar voice on the other end of the line. "Hello, Professor. This is Memphis. I've been trying to reach you for the last few days, but haven't been able to get through. I figure you're still busy on your trip, so I'll just leave this message here for you. So, at the time of this message, Dr. Anzeel and Yorktown have just arrived safely." My breath caught and my heart skipped a beat at the mention of Yorktown, but it was quickly dashed as I remembered this wasn't real. "She originally planned to pick you up and take you to the university herself, but…uh...her flight got delayed. In any case, she was a bit short on time as a result, so she had to head there first to get ready for the presentation. But don't worry, Northampton will be there to pick you up instead. Anyways, I'll see you soon at the usual place."

I let out a sigh of relief. At least Northampton would-

Wait.

What's the usual place?

Why is Northampton out of the hospital?

Why is Yorktown with Dr. Anzeel?

How is Dr. Anzeel even here?

Where is here?

What's going on?!

I took a deep breath and tried to get my emotions under control. Even if this was still the Reality Lens, people would react as they would in the real world, and me having a panic attack in the middle of the street wasn't going to be good for anyone. I decided to try and reach out to see if TB could still hear me. Keeping the idea in mind that shouting two letters into the sky would, again, attract unwanted attention, I pretended to dial a number on the phone and held it to my ear.

"TB?" I called out. "TB, can you hear me?" No answer. "TB, pick up, it's Max. Really urgent that I speak with you." Again, silence. "Alright, well, when you get this message, call me back immediately."

With no other options left, I sighed, put the phone back in my pocket, and began walking aimlessly, hoping that either Northampton would call me or I'd stumble onto the "usual place" through sheer dumb luck…

As I walked down the busy streets, my mind went back to wondering how I got here. Assuming that I was still in the Reality Lens, and at this point, that was a fairly big assumption, what's the source for all this? It draws from the consciousness of those who are plugged into it, but the only two were Anchorage and me, and Anchorage, quite frankly, wasn't capable of imagining anything this complicated. But these certainly aren't my memories, either…or are they? What was it that Recorder AI said? I was only a one percent match for whoever it was looking for, but I was definitely that person.

I thought back to the Arcana Sanctum in the Northern Parliament and those flashbacks I had. They felt like memories, but I couldn't remember experiencing anything like what I saw there, either. And now, this Anzeel…person…has an AI of her embedded in shipgirls' Wisdom Cubes looking for me…or someone like me? I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't some fever dream brought on by too much work and stress…

A car horn suddenly startled me out of my reverie, and I looked over to see a sleek, black, futuristic-looking car, with Northampton at the wheel.

Or, at least, I thought it was Northampton. It certainly looked like her, but her attire was a lot more modern, and she'd added an officer's cap to her wardrobe as well.

"Hey there," she smiled up at me as she leaned over to look at me. "You wandered off to a pretty interesting place. The fact that I even found you means we really are two peas in a pod, huh?" I looked at her, then around at my surroundings. I realized that behind all of the holographic billboards and futuristic buildings, the layout was the same as NYC. I turned my attention back to Northampton, who was giving me an apologetic grin. "Sorry 'bout that. Did I keep you waiting?"

When I didn't immediately answer, her smile faded, and she gave me a concerned look. "You okay, Professor?"

I put on a fake smile and nodded, something that had become remarkably easy for me as of late. "Yeah, yeah," I sighed. "Just…tired."

"Don't blame you," she chuckled as she reached over and opened the passenger side door. "Coming all the way over here must've been a pretty long drive, huh? Just hang in there a bit longer, alright? We still need to head over to the university and meet up with Dr. Anzeel."

Well, that was the "usual place" question answered. "She there now? Is, uh, Yorktown still with her?" I asked as I got into the car.

"Yup, that's what Memphis said," Northampton nodded as she pulled back out into traffic. "Apparently, her flight was delayed so she went straight over to prepare for the presentation. Though, by the time we get there, the presentation will probably already be over. But Yorktown and the rest will be waiting for us, too."

"A shame I'm going to miss the presentation," I said, not sure if it actually was or not. "But it'll be good to see Yorktown again."

As we drove down the streets, all of the holographic billboards began playing a trailer for some new movie I'd never heard of. I could hear some of the lines spoken by what sounded like a young woman.

"This is the captain. I'm addressing every man aboard this ship"

"In the last few hours, many things have happened."

"I believe what we have stumbled across is not man-made, but a phenomenon of nature."

"One that can't be explained."

"This storm has some effect on time as far as we know."

"It created a portal, a door into another era."

"We're about to fight a battle that was lost..."

"Before most of you were born."

"But this time, with our efforts, it's going to be different."

"The established past will be rewritten."

"––May God watch over us."

I didn't know just how important the speaker would prove to be later on, nor the impact the film would have on me, personally…

"Here we are," Northampton announced as she pulled into what looked like a university parking lot. I looked around, hoping to find something my mind would register as familiar.

"Dr. Anzeel said she'd meet us here?" I asked, not seeing either another car or anyone standing nearby.

"Not quite," she answered as she put the parking brake on and swung her door open. "There's a no-car zone up ahead, so we'll have to walk the rest of the way."

"Ah." I got out of the car and stretched a bit as I looked around. Out of all the places I'd been so far, this one seemed the most…normal, I guess? It looked like any prestigious university you'd see throughout the Eagle Union. Except for one small thing… "Where are all the people?"

That seemed to amuse Northampton somewhat. "Hah, good question. That was the first thing out of Dr. Anzeel's mouth too. Maybe people just don't feel like leaving home on a weekend. The latest model of virtual entertainment devices just came out too, you know? On the other hand, that means parking's easier to find, and I absolutely consider that a dub." She was distracted by a sudden buzzing noise, and she pulled out her phone to check it. "Oh, Dr. Anzeel just sent me a message," she announced, slipping her phone back into her pocket. "She says her presentation is over and she's waiting by the entrance on the first floor. Let's get a move on. It's easy to get lost here, so stick close to me."

"Roger that."

While the path wasn't terribly difficult to follow, I could see how one might get lost if there were more people here. Or any people. Before long, we reached the building and Northampton ushered me inside, following close behind.

There was a crowd of people outside the lecture hall milling about, and as I grew closer, I recognized their faces, but their outfits were different. Almost like a more modern take on what they wore back in my world. Before I could greet them a less familiar face spots me and breaks out into a broad smile as she throws out her arms in a bright greeting.

"Heya! Good to see you again, my assistant!" The woman cried out as she rushed over to me and wrapped her arms around me in a welcoming embrace.

"Doctor Anzeel…?" I ventured a guess as I returned the hug.

She stepped back and peered up at me as if I'd asked her what color the sky was. "Who else would it be? Jeez, did you hit your head on the way here or something?" I numbly shook my head as I took in this woman I'd heard so much and yet so little about. I felt like she was important, and my memories from the Aracana Sanctum seemed to confirm this and now, seeing her here before me in the cold light of day…well, let's say I was somewhat surprised.

She had an overall disheveled appearance, as if she'd just gotten out of bed, half thrown on her labcoat and shuffled on over here. Even her shoes, if you could call them that, were mismatched. One was a flip-flop and the other a sandal. Despite the streaks of grey in her hair and half-rimmed glasses perched halfway down her nose, she still had a youthful exuberance about her which I found infectious. And on a deeper level, to an extent I still couldn't quite explain, I felt some sense of kinship…a bond between us. Something told me we were close, almost like siblings.

As I took her in, she continued, still peering at me. "Anyway, sorry about ditching you, but my flight got delayed and that ended up screwing with my schedule. Totally out of my control, okay?" When I still didn't respond, she put her hands on her hips and gave me a mock scowl. "But look at you, all stony-faced like the other faculty members. You're gonna make me feel bad here! Seriously, I would've tried a bit harder to accommodate you, but the circumstances really didn't allow for it!" At this point, I could have said something, but I was curious to see how long she'd go on if nobody spoke up. "What, are you giving me the silent treatment now? It's not like I was the one piloting the plane," she argued, throwing her hands up in the air in an overexaggerated gesture of helplessness. Behind her, I could see the shipgirls sharing knowing looks and grins. It would seem there's more to this than what Anzeel is telling me.

"Yeah, but…didn't you charter the plane?" Hornet called out from behind her.

Anzeel somehow managed to look shocked and offended as she was outed by her own kansen. "Hey! I thought we all agreed to keep it a secret from my assistant here?!" she exclaimed.

"Well he was gonna figure it out when both of y'all have to take the plane back!" the carrier shot back.

That mollified the doctor somewhat as she stared down at the floor for a second. "Right," she muttered, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I hadn't thought of that…"

"It's alright," I said with a smile in an attempt to defuse the situation. "Unexpected things happen, and I made good use of the time."

Anzeel beamed as she gestured to me with both hands. "See? All's well that ends well! Now, you've met Hornet and Langley, obviously, but what about Hamman?" She looked around before she spied the destroyer peeking out from behind Hornet. "Hamman, you've been avoiding us the entire time, come out here and say hello!"

The girl wearing Hamman's face nervously stepped forward, giving a painfully shy wave. "I-I haven't been hiding at all! H-h-hello, Assistant…"

A shy, bashful Hamman? What wires did the Reality Lens get crossed to come up with this version of her?

"The Professor is Dr. Anzeel's assistant, Hammann, not yours," Langley admonished. "How do you refer to all your other teachers?"

"T-Teacher? Really?" Hamman looked up at me, wide-eyed. Seriously, who was this girl?

Hornet got in on the conversation, playfully nudging Langley. "We should call you "Teacher" too, then. You teach, and you assist the doctor, too."

"I beg to differ!" the smaller carrier huffed indignantly. "There's a world of difference between the Professor's work and mine."

As the three of them began playfully bantering…or bickering, depending on your viewpoint, I heard someone speak up behind me. Someone I hadn't heard in months. "Ahem. It's been a while, Professor. How goes your research?"

Yorktown.

My breath catches in my chest and my heart stops at the sound of her voice and for a half second, I freeze. My mind flashes back to the last time I saw Yorktown, the real Yorktown, in the ICU, in that damn hospital bed as she gave us a brave smile, knowing it might be the last time she ever saw us all. I knew this wasn't her, that this was a simulacrum of her created by the Reality Lens. Yet, to hear her again, after all these long, lonely months, I couldn't help but turn to face her. And what I saw took my breath away.

She had been transformed, uplifted, her appearance downright angelic. Gone was her navy blue jacket, leaving only her petticoat and stylized corset as the only dark pieces of clothing against a sea of white cloth. A fake collar and blue silk women's bowtie replaced her simple choker, highlighting the clear sky blue of her eyes. Two pairs of snowy wings emerged from her lower back, the smaller pair hugging her hips while the larger gently swayed back and forth. But the most beautiful change was her smile. My God, that smile. In the real world, her smile always had a tinge of sadness to it, of regret. But here it was so genuinely happy, blissful, without the slightest hesitation. Nothing but warmth and joy radiated from her, washing over me like mana from heaven. I was so awestruck by her change, it actually helped me keep myself from bursting into tears.

My gawking did not go unnoticed by Yorktown. "Professor?" she asked as she peered searchingly at me. "Is something the matter?"

I finally snap out of my reverie and shake my head, giving her, ironically, a sad, soft smile. "I'm fine, Yorktown, thank you. I'm just tired. It's really good to see you again."

"Yes, it's been a while," she agreed. "I've missed you."

"Me, too," I affirmed. It took everything in my power not to take her in my arms and hold her tightly, and I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn't real, that I was in a simulation. But God, did I want nothing more than to hold her, even if it was for just one moment.

As if she knew something was going on between us, Anzeel stepped in, promptly killing the moment and leaving me equal parts relieved and infuriated with her. "Okay, that's enough pleasantries. Let's get down to business."

"Ah yes," Yorktown smiled, "You two have that meeting tomorrow with Admiral Garfield, right?"

"That's important business," the doctor answered with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I was talking about another kind of business, namely, sightseeing. I've delayed our meeting with the general until tomorrow, so my schedule is totally free until then! And since the gang is all here, I say we go paint the town red! We can go wherever and do whatever. We're the masters of our own destinies! For today, anyway."

That went over well with shipgirls, all of whom smiled. Of course, Hornet was the most vocal in her approval. "Aw hell yeah! Way to go, Doc!" She paused and uncharacteristically showed some forethought. …wait, how did I know that was uncharacteristic? "Although I think some sort of plan would be good to have. Where are we going, exactly?"

"Let me think…" she murmured as she pulled out her phone. "Oh, hey, it's almost lunchtime! I know a good cafe Aoste told me about years ago. I dunno if they're still around, but if they are, we'll grab something to eat! After that, we could do some window shopping, then go to the movie theater." While she was checking to see if the cafe was still open, I looked around at all the familiar faces, wondering what else was different about them. I noticed Hornet and Northampton, normally thick as thieves, even before they started dating, were on opposite sides of the crowd. Had the Reality Lens gotten things mixed up with my memories? Were these even my memories? Maybe this was part of…whatever it was the Recorder wanted to show me. In any event, I could only play along until the Reality Lens decided to end the simulation, or TB and the gang back in the real world figure out how to unplug me without killing me.

"...Granate…Granate…" Anzeel was repeating as she scrolled through the search results on her phone. "Ah! Here it is! Yep, same place! Huh, who knew they'd still be open after all this time." She signaled for everyone to follow her as she began to head out. "Let's go, everyone!"

As we all filed out the door, I overheard Yorktown say to Hamman, "Remember to stay close to us. We don't want you to get lost."

"Get lost? I-I would never!" Hamman indignantly replied, and it was all I had not to laugh. Well, at least the Reality Lens was getting a few things right…

A/N-Ah, Yorktown II. But not the real Yorktown II. Yet. Still, I have to say, Yorktown got one hell of a glow-up. Until next time, fair winds and following seas!