Chapter Summary: More training!
Chapter Word Count: 5,403
Posted: 26 Sep 2020
Fixed: Search and replace error. Oops!
"That went well," Yuki said, once they were outside of the temple walls. "Master Xio stayed calm."
"Are all Fox Clan temples women only?" Yanzy asked.
"Yes," Mika said. "They train all Fox Clan priestesses here."
"We only have the one temple," Yuki said. "We are not a large clan. Which is why we were able to survive here without attracting too much attention."
"Our Fox clan culture was very similar to that of feudal era Japan," Sita said. "It was not simple to integrate into the country at the time but it would have been a lot harder elsewhere. If you wish to know the history of our integration the temple has a number of well written sources."
"It's boring," Yuki said, faking a yawn. "The clan had to give up their tech to fit in, and they tweaked our genetics so that we look Japanese."
"What did the Fox clan look like before?" Yanzy said. "You look like normal to me."
"We do," Sita said, nodding. "But there has been a lot of intermarriage over the centuries between clan and Japanese."
"We looked very similar to the way we do now," Mika said. "But more fox like. There's a reason our patron is the Fox God, though that is not what he was called before we came here."
"And Brother Coyote is actually native to this planet, according to him anyway. He was out exploring and somehow encountered the Fox clan and led them back here," Sita added.
"If we had not changed ourselves to look Japanese, we would have been confused for yokai," Yuki said. "Or so our teachings claim. I would have been a cute one." She turned around and walked backwards for a few steps grinning and posing for Yanzy.
"That is not the word I would have used," Mika said, pulling her back. "Real yokai can take on the appearance of humans but always return to their original appearance."
"Have you ever seen any yokai?" Yanzy asked, as they waited for the train back to their dorms. "Until I met the three of you I would have not believed they were real. But if aliens are real why not yokai?"
"There's a Kitsune family in our home village," Sita said. "But they are rarely seen."
"They don't have a sense of humor," Yuki said, shaking her head. "One of the kits bit me once."
"They are spirits," Sita said. "They don't like being picked up."
"But they are so cute," Yuki said, pouting.
"What are we going to do about training for Yanzy?" Mika said. "Master Xio didn't like the idea of replacing the temple training pods with the newer model that Yanzy could use."
"She is very reluctant to become more involved in the plans of the Lady Shadow," Sita said. "She believes if she allowed that then other Fox Clan priestesses would become a part of this venture, not just us."
"Lady Shadow told her," Mika said. "She said our path leads the Fox Clan in the direction being taken by the Serpent Clan."
"But she didn't believe it, really, until we brought Yanzy to meet her. She could pretend that things aren't changing," Sita said.
"If we can't use the temple we need another place for the training pods," Yuki said. "Four of them. And soon."
"Four?" Yanzy said.
"So we can all train together," Yuki said. "The temple training pods aren't compatible with the new ones, according to Janice and Harriet. So they can't be hooked together for us to train together."
"It will work out," Sita said. "I have faith in the Fox God."
"And a vision?" Mika said.
"Possibly?" Sita said. "I do see us training together but when and where is not very clear."
"So, it could be next week or years from now?" Mika said.
"Yes," Sita said.
"You have guests," the dorm guard said, when they entered the lobby. "They are in the guest lounge."
"Did they say who they are?" Mika asked.
"My sister is visiting universities this month," Yuki said. "Maybe it's her?"
"They are tall and foreign," the receptionist said. "Their visit was approved."
"So, someone who knows Kiki?" Yuki said.
"We can just go down to the lounge and find out," Mika said. "No point in speculating."
Yuki poked her. "Why didn't I think of that?"
"Are they here to see all four of us?" Yanzy asked quickly before Mika and Yuki started arguing.
"Yes," the receptionist said.
"Well, it could have been anyone," Yuki said. "Tall and foreign describes a lot of different people."
"Not anyone who would have been approved to visit us here," Mika said. "If it was a promotional event it would take place in the offices, not our home."
"And, it isn't just anyone," Yanzy said, peaking into the guest lounge. "Shall we?"
"Sita first," Yuki said, holding the door open for her. "That way we can hide behind her."
"That is no longer funny," Sita said.
"I thought it was," Yuki said. "There has to be some benefit to being short."
"You eat less, leaving more for the rest of us?" Mika said.
"She actually eats more than anyone else," Yanzy said. "One of our new songs will be about bottomless pits."
"I just have a more efficient body," Yuki said.
"Good afternoon, Janice and Harriet," Sita said. "Who are your companions?"
"We're here to set up the training pods," Janice said. "Lola and Frea are pod techs."
"We haven't found a safe place to put them," Sita said. "Our temple does not have room for them."
"That won't be a problem," Janice said. "We've opened a small embassy and there is space designated for training pods. They've already been delivered and just need to be configured. So we're here to take you there."
"We have a curfew," Mika said. We'll need to be back in three hours."
"No problem, it's just a mile from here." Harriet said. "Near the auditorium you train in."
"That's an odd place for an embassy," Sita said.
"Officially it's a cultural exchange center," Janice said. "In a couple weeks our cultural attache; will visit to see your idol training center."
"Oh," Yuki said. "So that's what is going in that old office building they were going to turn into a parking lot."
"Yes," Harriet said. "Nice evening for a walk. Let's go see it!"
"It doesn't look like it was just built," Yanzy said, looking up at the large stone building. "It looks a little like one of those temples we saw in Cancun."
"It's a Serpent Clan building," Janice said. "We have certain requirements."
"How did you get it past the zoning board?" Yuki said. "My mother said it can take years to get approval for new construction."
"Lady Shadow can be very persuasive," Janice said, smirking.
"The training pods are in a secure room in the basement," Harriet said. "They'll be available primarily for your use for the next month and after that there will be a schedule where you can request time like anyone else who needs to use them."
"So we won't be the only ones using them," Sita said.
"No," Harriet said. "Though there won't be many who need to use them here." She shrugged. "The Council has given priority to your team for these pods."
"We will not abuse the privilege," Sita said. The others nodded in agreement.
"We know you won't," Janice said. "Otherwise this wouldn't be happening."
They followed Janice, Harriet, Lola, and Frea down to the pod room, after introducing them to the building security AI.
"The pods have been calibrated for your different physiologies," Lola said after they entered the room. "We just need to key your profiles to them. Once that happens the pods will automatically recognize you and select your profile."
"We've brought pod suits in your sizes," Frea said, opening a box and removing several packages. She handed one to each of them.
"We didn't do anything special for the Fox temple training pods," Mika said. "Why are these different?"
"They were an older model, with only one operating mode," Lola said. "We've examined them and adjusted these based on their settings."
"Get into your suits," Janice said, "so they can be custom fitted and we can run you through the safety protocols."
"Do we actually get to use them today?" Yuki said. "There are five of them here?"
"That's the standard numbers of pods in a training facility," Janice said. "Frea will be guiding the four of you through the safety protocols."
There was a locker room in the training room. After setting them up with their own lockers, Janice had them put on the pod suits and Lola and Frea adjusted them to fit correctly.
"Does this make me look fat?" Yuki said, pulling on the flexible material.
"No, but it does make you look shorter," Mika said.
Sita stepped between them before Yuki could retaliate. "Now isn't the time," she said. "We are all busy people."
"I won't forget," Yuki said, huffing.
"At least you don't look like a board in these," Yanzy said, looking at herself in a nearby mirror.
"It won't matter in the pods," Janice said.
"You aren't joining us?" Mika asked, seeing that she hadn't donned a suit herself.
"Not today," Janice said.
"This is different," Yanzy said, once they were in the pods. "It feels real."
"In your head it is real," Mika said. "Only full Serpent Clan get full benefits from using the pods but we are still able to use them."
"Things experienced in the pods are real," Frea said. "But time flows differently in them. When we leave the pods it will have been thirty of your minutes in the outside world but in the pod a whole day will have passed."
"And, unless these pods are different, we will feel it," Yuki said. "Getting tired in the pods leaves you tired outside of them."
"The pods are designed to affect the user physically," Frea said. "But that only works on Clan. But it can still be physically exhausting. We have several exercises which will help balance the pod experience with the outer world. We will review them now."
"What did you think?" Yuki asked, once they had completed the familiarity session and left the pods.
"It was an interesting experience," Yanzy said. "So, there isn't really any magic to using the pods for training."
"The time distortion does give you more time to learn, and the pods enhance your learning ability," Janice said. "But unless you are full clan that is the main benefit, and the virtual reality aspect of course."
"So, we can learn to do all sorts of useful things in the pods," Yuki said. "How to drive or fly or other things, without getting hurt."
"We should get back to our dorm," Sita said. "What is the plan for the next month?"
"Lady Shadow negotiated a training schedule for the four of you," Janice said. "While Yanzy is being brought up to speed with the tech gear she will be using and additional things we believe she needs to know, the three of you will also be busy in the pods."
"You will only be using the pods for half days to start with," Lola said. "After using the old pods, this will help you become acclimatized to the new pods."
They were on a short break while the band and crew went over their equipment in the post-tour ritual. Everything was checked against inventory, and anything needing repairs or replacement was separated from those things going into storage until the next tour.
Everyone else just rested before they started working on the next tour. The three priestesses and Yanzy had arranged with Kiki to have mornings off for the next few weeks, as long as they made up the time in the evenings and weekends when necessary.
The first morning, they met with Lola and Frea in the training room.
"One of us will be in the pods with you and one of us outside, until you're ready to go solo," Lola said. "After, someone will monitor the room while you are using the pods."
"Standard procedure," Frea said, nodding. "The building AI always monitors the pod systems while they are being used."
"This AI is sapient?" Sita asked, curious.
"It has limited awareness outside of its tasking," Lola said, "but is not fully sapient. It may become sapient but that is centuries from now."
"How smart is it?" Yanzy asked. "Cat, dog, small child? Does it have a name?"
"She has not chosen a name yet," Lola said. "That won't happen until she is fully sapient. She is as smart as a small child."
"How do we talk to her?" Yuki said.
"You may address me as PNY," a soft, low voice said.
"Peh en why?" Mika said, frowning.
"Penny!" Yuki said. "Do you mind if we call you Penny?"
"That is acceptable," PNY said.
"What are we doing today?" Sita said, as they changed into their pod suits in the locker room.
"A familiarization exercise," Frea said. "We will discuss it once we are in."
"That is a strange feeling when the pod activates," Yanzy said, as they all stood at the top of a windswept hill.
"Where are we?" Mika said. "What are we wearing?"
"This is a training simulation," Frea said. "We are just observers and are wearing neutral suits."
"It's a form of your 'capture the flag'," Janice said, appearing next to them. "Blue Team has the valley and Gold Team has those two mountains. Blue needs to capture the Gold banners."
"How are you here?" Yuki said.
"The pods can be connected," Janice said. "It's not limited to the five you have in Tokyo."
"So, can anyone join us here?" Sita asked.
"The pods are normally set up so that there's a master controller," Frea said. "The Tokyo controller is PNY. She can connect specific groups of pods or pods with specific users. Janice, Joy, and Harriet can attach pods they are using to your group to form a larger group, though it is considered impolite to do so without asking first even if your pod is part of a designated group."
"Is there a limit?" Mika asked.
"There's a practical limit," Frea said. "It takes a large amount of processing power to join together pods into shared groups like this. The Tokyo pods are currently allocated only enough power so PNY can group a total of ten pods. The five in Tokyo and five elsewhere."
"There are exceptions," Frea said. "In an emergency the limit can be overridden, though there are dangers involved."
"And there are several Council members with override permissions who don't need to be invited, though the only one you're likely to encounter is Lady Shadow. She may visit occasionally," Janice said.
"What is the purpose of this simulation?" Sita asked.
"It's a replay of an actual training event," Janice said. "It should give you some idea of the capabilities of the pods for reenacting events. After this is completed we will watch an actual small scale action the Clan Hands engaged in. It should give you some idea of what they are capable of."
"That was like watching a movie except being in the movie," Yuki said, after they'd finished watching the training sequence and the battle. "And very violent."
"Being there when it actually happened would be scary," Mika said.
"Yes," Yanzy said. "I don't think I want to be in a real battle, even with the armor they were wearing."
"I don't think our suits would survive that kind of action," Sita said. "Though it was impressive."
"No, your suits are designed to help you evade that kind of action. If you find yourselves caught in something like that you need to run away," Janice said. "As fast as possible."
"The suits you gave us don't have any of the capabilities of your trooper armor," Yuki said. "I don't think we'll be able to outrun them. Since this is a virtual world, will we be able to try out the real suits?"
"We do use the pods for initial hard suit training," Janice said. "But unless you are going into combat in one the training would not be helpful."
"I would like to see what it is like, to wear one," Yuki said.
"We can probably arrange that at some point," Janice said. "Later. There is also a 'ride-along' mode where you can 'become' someone and experience what they experienced, though you are just an observer."
"So, you use the training pods for simulation," Mika said. "Not just for training?"
"Simulation is a form of training," Janice said.
"This isn't like the holodeck in Star Trek," Yanzy said. "Is it."
"No," Janice said. "That, if it were real, uses holograms, which are a form of forcefield. The training pods are immersive but it is primarily in your head."
"Like dreaming?" Mika asked. "It doesn't feel very dream-like. Dreams are always vague, and not real. This feels like we would have felt it if we'd been in that battle."
"I can't explain how it works," Janice said. "That's a kind of tech I don't know."
"Yes, if we hadn't been designated as observers, we could participate in a real seeming battle. Injuries would not be permanent but you would have felt them to an extent," Frea said. "Because the training pods connect to your nervous system, they are able to control what you feel."
"So... we can participate in simulations," Sita said. "I'm assuming that means we will be using the training pods to test our plans? Training missions?"
"Yes," Janice said. "We'll be running you through different scenarios, when you're ready. Individually and as a group. The three of you need to learn the capabilities of your suits, and Yanzy needs to learn how to use the equipment needed to support you in the field. This is just the beginning."
"In the temple training pods, a day on the outside could be a month on the inside. Will it be the same here?"
"It can be varied," Frea said. "Those old temple training pods are a bit limited. They only have one mode - one day equals a month of mental time. We'll be doing a week in the pods for every half day in real-time."
"Will that give us enough time?" Sita asked. "We need training on our suits and equipment, and training on how to plan and carry out a mission. And I'm sure there's more."
"Yes, a lot more," Janice said. "The better trained you are the better are your chances to survive a mission."
"But not too much training," she said. "You still need to be you. If the training affects your band so no one recognizes you, then that is a sign that the training is failing. You still need to be yourselves."
"So, it is possible for the pod to affect our personality? Is that something unique to these?" Sita asked.
"The Clan does not promote or believe in brainwashing," Janice said. "But some kinds of training will have an affect on your outlook."
"You'll notice that we have not said anything about teaching you about our culture or language. While it might be useful in the long run, it can influence your beliefs. Our language training is very immersive. It trains by putting you inside the culture of the language you are learning. Which can influence your mind if you are not aware of it."
"No, we don't want any of that," Yuki said. "I don't think the Fox God would be happy if we suddenly started talking in your language and wearing Serpent Clan clothes. We are trained Fox Clan priestesses, well most of us, and it has taken us years to become that."
"It' likely that the non-existent cultural conditioning, which we would never do," Janice said, "would have no effect on you given your own training. But it isn't something to experiment with."
"So, no experimenting in the pods," Yuki said. "What can we do?"
"More training with your forms; training with your suits; training with the equipment you'll be using," Janice said. "And once a mission has been identified we can use the pods to plan and work on details. And Yanzy will be learning to use the equipment, as we have said."
"Can the pods teach Yanzy our clan language?" Mika said. "It would be useful."
"I do not believe we have your clan language or other cultural artifacts available for training purposes," Frea said.
"Can we add it?" Mika asked. "We don't want to make Yanzy into a Fox Clan priestess. That isn't her calling."
"The Fox God has indicated that it would helpful if she could at least understand our private language and culture," Sita said.
"Which I am grateful to know," Yanzy said. "I don't think I would make a good priestess."
"Being in the band probably disqualifies you," Yuki said, giggling. "You have too much fun, and engage in very un-priestess-like activities."
"Priestess training does prepare one for being an idol," Sita said, "though a Fox Clan priestess has more personal freedom and responsibility that an ordinary idol."
"I have never been ordinary," Yuki said, frowning.
"No," Mika said. "You've never been that boring."
"How would we add our clan language and culture to the pods so that Yanzy can learn it?" Mika asked.
"The process itself is simple, but involves a large amount of red tape," Frea said. "Language and cultural transmission is governed by some serious rules in the Confederation."
"So, it has to be approved?" Mika said. "And what is this confederation?"
"The Confederation is the name for the organization that most of the political entities in this galaxy belong to, to put it simply," Janice said. "It is not really a government so much as a council of beings who provide guidance to the member states. One of their stated goals is to safeguard all cultures from being lost or forgotten."
"Who do we talk to?" Sita asked. "We aren't asking for our culture or language to be made available to anyone who asks, but for Yanzy to be able to learn our private language and the background of our clan quickly."
"We can teach her our language and culture ourselves if we need to," Mika said. "And we have already started but shortening the time involved from years to weeks or days would be welcome."
"We have been teaching Yanzy our clan forms but some of the things we want to teach her don't make a lot of sense if you don't have a good understanding of where it came from," Mika said.
"You'll need to petition the Clan Council and then they will have to bring it up with the Confederation representative," Janice said.
"What is the process?" Yuki asked.
"Several recordings are made of different members of a culture and the information gathered is turned into training material. Languages are the easier part, according to Lola," Frea said. "That can be done by one of the AIs. The actual cultural info is different. It takes a lot of training to turn memory dumps into useful information."
"The Memory's office can do it," Janice said, "but they would need a compelling reason. And your people would have to approve. Someone in authority in your clan would also have to be involved."
"We don't have a ruling Clan council, as such," Sita said. "The temple elders mostly server that purpose, with input from all current priestesses. The temple elders may not want to do this."
"But that can wait until we're out of the pods," Sita said. "What is the plan for tomorrow?"
"Yanzy learning how to use her equipment, and the three of you learning how to take care of your suits," Janice said. "I'll be joining you again tomorrow. Harriet will work with Yanzy on her equipment. I believe that is it for now."
"How do we get back?" Yanzy asked. "I know we did it yesterday but I must have missed the exact process."
"You just have to want to go home," Frea said. "This virtual world will exist until there is no one left and then it gets put away."
"That would be the non-technical explanation," Janice said. "I once asked how it really works and three hours later I still had no idea and I had a splitting headache."
"So be careful what you wish for," Yuki said. "Wise words."
"Which you will never heed," Mika said. "You're like the curious cat. If it looks interesting you'll investigate and bring your own brand of chaos with you."
"I find the classic phrase as used by Dorothy Gale to be an excellent trigger," Janice said. "Just repeat 'There's no place like home!' as quickly and as coherently as possible."
"Then we're going to be stuck," Mika said. "Yuki hasn't been coherent in years."
"I'm always coherent," Yuki said, poking her. "You just need to listen more carefully."
"No ruby slippers required?" Yanzy said.
"We can find some shoes and glue red sequins to them?" Yuki said. "Might sound strange tapping them together."
"We'll met again here tomorrow," Janice said. "Enjoy the rest of your day."
"Life moves much faster when you use the pods," Mika said, climbing out of her pod. "You'll want to take a shower as quickly as possible," she told Yanzy as she climbed out of the pod next to hers. "This gunk is not fun to wear when it hardens. We learned that using the temple learning pods."
"The fluid formula used in the new pods is not as bad," Lola said, "but it does get into uncomfortable places if you don't wash it off quickly."
"Doesn't it run out?" Yuki asked, "if we keep washing it away? And what happens when it gets in the water?"
"It's organic," Lola said. "It degrades quickly in water."
"We need showers like these in our dorms," Yuki said, quickly drying herself off. "The water is always the right temperature and it never runs out."
"More alien tech?" Yanzy said.
"If you could have perfect water for showers, wouldn't you use tech for it?" Yuki said, grinning. "I bet it uses that mind reading thing the comms use. It probably knows exactly what temperature to make your water to make you happy."
"But then we can't have it in our dorm showers," Yanzy said. "It's too high tech. And if we weren't doing something for them we wouldn't get to use it either."
"Correct," Frea said. "The Clan Council plans to share some of our tech with your planet but it will take many of your years. And some things we aren't allowed to share."
"Like what?" Yanzy said. "Weapons?"
"There are some things that can't be shared," Lola said. "Including weapons."
"And you can't tell us," Mika said. "That's fine. We understand."
"Every culture has secrets," Sita said. "Private knowledge that is not shared."
"It's probably a secret about how soft these towels are," Yuki said. "Anyone who tries them is never going to want to use regular towels again. Feel that softness!"
"Was your visit successful?" Kiki asked, as they entered the auditorium after lunch.
"Yes," said Sita. "We learned much."
"We learned that there is more for us to learn," Yuki added.
"It is a different experience," Yanzy said. "They are used to it, but time moves faster over there. There is so much to learn while we have the time."
"Good," Kiki said. "All learning keeps the mind flexible. They are not wasting your time?"
"No," Sita said. "At the moment they are teaching us how to maintain the tools they've given us to work with. And they will show us how to use them."
"There is so much potential," Mika said. "But much of it we are not ready for. They must trust us, and you, very much to allow this."
"Don't forget they have their own agenda," Kiki said. "For now it aligns with the Fox God but eventually our paths may diverge. Do not become too dependent on them."
"We are not gullible," Mika said. "We know there is a cost to all of this. But the Fox God needs us to work with them on this, so we will."
"As long as you are aware," Kiki said.
"Very much so," Sita said.
"Good," Kiki said. "The three of you are expected on stage in ten minutes. And the band is in the back studio."
"Maestro Dio is a slave driver," Yuki said. "We need a break. Maybe it's time to play some other music?"
"There is plenty of time to learn different music," Kiki said. "But first we need to review the London concert."
"That was weeks ago," Yuki said. "What's to review?"
"There is always room for improvement," Kiki said. "Before the choreographer starts planning for your next concert, the Maestro wants you to review all of your moves from this past tour."
"Why?" Yuki said. "Did we do something wrong?"
"Improvement is a continuous process," Kiki said. "To the untrained eye, your routines are flawless. But you do make mistakes that need to be corrected, especially at the end of the tour."
"Where do you want to start," Sita said, bowing to the inevitable.
"That was brutal," Mika said, after they broke for dinner.
"It just feels like that because we're all still exhausted from using the pods," Sita said. "It will get better. Once we get used to the pace."
"It better," Yuki grumbled. "I fell asleep while on the phone the other day. Woke up looking like I slept in a waffle iron.
"Pictures?" Yanzy said. "The going rate for a picture of you doing something like that would pay for pizza for the next week."
"I don't think anyone needs to see that," Yuki said.
"But your sister would pay top dollar for that," Yanzy said.
"My sister doesn't need the encouragement," Yuki said. "She's made enough on the idol collectibles market to put herself through another year of school."
"Maybe we should get Kiki to hire her as an assistant," Mika said. "Then she won't be able to sell our things to our fans, she'd be too busy."
"That wouldn't stop her," Yuki said. "She'd probably sell even more of our things."
"I still think it would be a good idea," Mika said. "And she could help us."
"Boss, you wanted to see me?" Janice said, after another day in the pods with the Fox Metal crew.
"What's your impression of them?" Brittany asked Janice. She'd just reviewed the logs of the Fox priestesses and their first two days in the pods.
"Enthusiastic," Janice said. "Though only Yuki really shows it. If they can maintain their enthusiasm all the way through this training they should be able to handle anything we give them to do."
"Their Fox god has confidence that they will excel," Brittany said. "Their trials went well and they continue to do well with everything that has been challenging them since."
"What are we going to use as their 'training' mission?" Janice asked her.
"I've got just the thing," Brittany said. "There has been some suspicious activity in this small town."
"They don't exactly fit into small town America," Janice said.
"No, which is why this will be a good training mission," Brittany said. "As soon as they are ready."
"They learn quickly," Janice said. "All four of them."
"Some of the Fox clan forms have that effect," Brittanys said. "It isn't surprising that the three priestesses learn quickly. Their friend is a welcome surprise. Did you find anything in her background to explain it?"
"No, she appears very ordinary, besides being taller than average," Janice said. "But she is able to adapt almost as quickly as they do. I think we should also get her a mobility suit. I suspect she'll need it."
"Agreed," Brittany said. "You have all of her bio info. Get her a suit." "On it, Boss," Janice said. "Anything else?"
"For now just keep an eye on them," Brittany said. "The Black Hats don't appear to have noticed our interest in an idol band. Let's try to keep it that way."
"Yes, Boss," Janice said.