The Big Switch

by dave-d

Kaname visits a medical center with secret facilities, to help research the origin of the Whispers. No good deed goes unpunished. Who will be the hero this time? The answer is not as simple as it might seem.

10. Chapter 10

Author's note: Hopefully you have the stamina for another busy chapter.

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LABORATORY

Kaname stood in a daze.

She wasn't certain if she had been squeezed in a juicer like an orange, or twisted free of water like a towel.

Sipping on a cup of dark coffee, she mumbled to herself, but not only audible to herself. "Broadband and high-power terahertz radiation source based on extended interaction klystron… Rotating-Coil Magnetometer for scanning transversal field harmonics in Accelerator Magnets…acceleration of electrons in the plasma wakefield of a proton bunch."

"Sounds like our gal might have reached her limit," Dr. Hfuhruhurr said with sincere sympathy. Then his eye flashed an he was a hardcore scientist again. "Otherwise she would have mentioned generation and measurement of sub-micrometer relativistic electron beams…new aspects of longitudinal instabilities in electron storage rings… and power-law relationship in the long-tailed sections of proton dose distributions."

"Give the young lady a break," Dr. Necessiter said. "She's been through so much, the poor dear." His smile better fit a shark than a man. "It's alright if she forgot that a small amount of mini-charged dark matter could cool the baryons in the early universe…controlling Cherenkov angles with resonance transition radiation… and searching for an exotic spin-dependent interaction with a single electron-spin quantum sensor."

"The two of you knock it off!" Miss Uumellmahaye smacked both men hard against the back of their heads. "Really! How would you two bumpkins like being surrounded by lustful chattering women all morning long." She made a disgusted noise, seeing the looks on their faces. She cocked her head. "But… you know… I did find the practical application of generalized statistical mechanics of cosmic rays and application to positron-electron spectral indices to be rather fascinating."

"It's all so far above me…" Kaname said. "You know… the real me… not the Whispered me." She hung her head, looking at a few concentric circles her tears made in the surfaced of her drink. She wiped her eyes and sniffed. "I can't help but think I'm some kind of guinea pig… why else would there be so man people here doing all this… for one high school girl and a military maniac."

"It's not just any girl," Dr. Necessditer. "A Whispered girl. And it's not just any military maniac. It's the only military maniac in Mithril who can pilot the Lambda Driver."

"But that's it," Kaname said, feeling a surge of anger cut through the fog of sullen sadness. "We're commodities. Sousuke is a slave to his skill. And I'm just a source of precious and sought-after technology."

"You're more than that," Anne said kindly. "But… I have to admit… you are right. In a race for Black Technology, you are an important resource. However, while you may think yourself cursed, Mithril did not curse you. They have helped you. Sergeant Sagara is proof of that."

"Hah!" Kaname's spirit was back in full. This subject matter always had her weak circulation pumped up and raring to go. "Sousujke Sagara is a curse. I mean… really!" Her grimace was slowly replaced by a small smile. She sighed, wondering how Sousuke was doing. "But… I still can't really trust their motives, can I?"

"They may not exactly be knights in shining armor," Dr. Hfuhruhurr remarked. "But the work they do does often is for the greater good, not the greater evil." He wasn't blind the fact that Mithril was a mercenary outfit of the highest level, but still just an organization working outside national sovereignty. "They are part of the check and balance equation… they are the yin to Amalgam's yang."

"It might not help your state of mind to think this," Dr. Necessiter put in. "But… Amalgam is the one gathering up Whispered to gain whatever information they have. They do not send cute mercenaries to look after pretty girls. They capture girls… extract the knowledge they have… and then discard them… never to be seen again."

"-" Kaname had no words. She felt as if she had been bowled over by a sudden tidal wave of angst and fear. That fact had no been unknown to her. She had dealt with it before. But here… now… she felt so exposed and so vulnerable. A lab rat there. Or a lab rat here. She was still a lab rat. The difference would be she would walk away alive, but still a target. But, hopefully she would be a target back in her own body.

"Here's a thought," Anne said, looking Kaname in the eyes. "Mithril is helping you. It does want Black Technology. But… it wants even more to keep that technology out of Amalgam's clutch. And… you know there is a simpler way of doing that…."

"Indeed!" Dr. Hfuhruhurr shook a finger at Kaname. "They could have sent a cute solider-" He was cut off.

"And a conceited playboy sniper… and a busty foul-mouthed crab-eating ex-Marine-" Like his fellow scientist, he knew about the workings of Mithril and the duty roster of the TDD-1.

"To assassinate you," Anne finished. She thought the point would put things to rest. It had the opposite effect.

"But… it's not just Mithril…" Kaname swallowed hard. Her annoyance with many of the morning's visitors was replaced by suspicion and a sense of dread. "Mithril may have brought in people of every conceivable discipline that might provide a clue to the Whispers, and the mind-body mix-up… but some might have separate agendas in the long run…."

"Oh," Anne said, following Kaname's thoughts. "I see. The religious sects." The way that she said that, she didn't sound too fond of the visitors for some reason, as if she somehow stood apart from them. "Christians… Jews… Muslims…Hindus…."

"Taoists," Dr Hfuhruhurr added. "Zoroastrianism… Budhists… Bahá'í Faith… Jainism… Sihkism…"

"Mormons," Dr. Neccesiter continued. "Pentecostals… and a smoking hot and babeliscious Gnostic…owww!" He winced when Anne stomped hard on his foot.

"You're afraid that they are here out of fear, ultimately," Anne remarked. "You are concerned what they might find… no, what they may end up thinking, whether they find something concrete or not. "

"You're afraid they may want to burn you at the stake… owww!" Dr Necessiter yelped again. This time it was Dr Hfuhruhurr wuth the heavy foot, crushing his toes. The other man glanced at Anne, and then shook his head.

"It's all part of the game," Anne said, her voice hushed. "Certain religious groups wield great power in some circles. And certain groups supplying Mithril with money and intelligence have some form of allegiance to religion, or their members are men and women of faith."

"Which means that I have to have faith," Kaname said with a jolt of irony. "I have to hope that no one finds anything that frighten them. That, and pray that you guys… or they…." She looked around the room. "Find something that helps."

"Great way to change the subject," Dr Hfuhruhurr said. "While you were chatting with Anne about aliens… before the big SNAFU… we were speaking with Sergeant Sagara about head transplants. It's-"

"While some people might think such an advance would be a great way to fight untreatable disease," Dr. Necessiter usurped the thought. "There are those people who would look at things a different way, and not necessarily with good intentions. There have always been people obsessed with the idea of immortality."

"Let's not delve to deep into theatrics, gentlemen." Anne said. "What my… esteemed… compatriots are trying to lead up to is another concept. But… before I mention it, I have to admit that it would indeed be research… not really a rescue."

"Just spit it out," Dr. Necesster said. "We all like Kaname. We all want what's best for her and Sousuke."

"It's not like we're monsters," Dr Hfuhruhurr said. "We're not going to do evil things for the greater good. There's a topic we never got to mention to your soldier friend. Something that the unfortunate accident gave some credence to. Mind transplantation."

"That's right," Anne said. "And the good part about tghat would be…." She pointed at Kaname's ring, which was now a lighter shade of green. "Even if time runs out to reverse things the way that they occurred in this lab, there may be a way to place your thoughts back in your body." She sounded like there was a catch. Perhaps a rather big catch.

"Memories," Dr Hfuhruhurr said. "Understanding them is the key.

"He's right for once," Dr. Necessiter said. "Let's look at it this way. Your brain is a three-pound lump of fatty tissue that contains about eighty-six billion brain cells called neurons. By passing electricity or chemicals between them, neurons can send signals to each other. Most neuroscientists believe memory is stored as a network of neurons that form links with each other and all fire at the same time."

"When they fire correctly," Dr. Hfuhruhurr remarked. "Nessie here once spent whole day looking for his car keys." He chuckled. "Miss Uumellmahaye had to remind him that he didn't even own a car.."

"Very funny, coming from a man with only one headlight!" Dr. Necessiter sounded like he was primed for a fight.

"What's even funnier is a man with a grill like that!" Dr. Hfuhruhurr was obviously making reference to his comrade's teeth, after that man had joked about his having only one real eye. Ooo-ooo-ooo." He almost bit his tongue after Anne twisted his ear, before doing the same for Dr. Necessiter.

"What Dr. Necessiter was saying," Anne prompted.

"Ahem," Dr Necessiter cleared his throat. Smiling, he say "Me me me meeee-eee-ee-e… okay… back to business. Each time a memory is recalled, the same network of neurons fires together. In fact, scientists have shown that if you stimulate certain parts of the brain with electricity, you can cause an individual to recall certain memories. So, to download a memory, we could simply track which neurons are activated when you're thinking about that memory. By using computers to match these patterns of firing neurons with real images or scenes, we can already read people's minds to a limited degree."

Don't," Anne snapped her fingers at Dr Hfuhruhurr, who had opened his mouth.

"Many scientists believe it should one day be possible to create a kind of map of all the neurons in the brain and the connections between them: this map would be called a 'connectome'," Dr. Neccesiter explained. "Major research programs with this goal specifically in mind have been started in the United States, and other nations are in the start-up phase. This task would normally take decades, but hints and tools available through Black Technology have sped things up tremendously; and, you might provide even more clues yourself."

"Yes, you might indeed be a guinea pig of sorts," Dr. Hfuhruhurr added. "But, you can also be a savior of sorts. A savior for yourself and young Sagara. Don't focus what other people's motivations might be. Focus on your own. Just remember that we're all rooting for you."

"Thank you," Kaname said. She was feeling a bit lost at the moment, as if she had forgotten her concerns.

"Once everything is done," Dr. Neccesiter continued. "Scientists should be able to build a computer model of the connectome, a kind of virtual brain that would be able to send signals between neurons through artificial synapses. But our brains are unbelievably complex, and difficult to copy. The number of synapse connections is a thousand times bigger than the number of stars in the Milky Way galaxy."

"Which means we would have to be perfect in our operations," Dr Hfuhruhurr noted. "We wouldn't want to leave anything out and…." He paused for effect. "We wouldn't want to put in anything that wasn't there to start with.

"Wait!" A terrible thought occurred to Kaname. She remembered something that Tessa had told her, about resonance between Whispereds continuing too long, and how personalities could become mixed together like milk and tea, unable to be un-mixed again. "Is there… could there be…" She searched for the words, trying to get the thought to take full shape. "Am I even still me? What if some of Sousuke's thoughts… even a small number… are left in his brain. Will they mix with my thoughts… what-" She trembled. "Could… well… if that happened, could you still keep me as me…."

"It seems we have only given you more to worry about," Anne said. "But we've already thought about that possibility. There are preparations being made in another room. There may be a way to keep your thoughts pure, even if your thoughts are sharing real estate with Mister Sagara's."

"Really?" Kanam shivered. "Good. But… well… I wonder…."

"What," Dr Hfuhruhurr asked.

"It makes me wonder something else," Kaname said. "The Whispered thoughts are really not my own. They are somehow just there. So… you know… when everyone asks me to explain those thoughts… it seems like someone else is giving the answers. But… what if I am getting those answers wrong… because I'm mixing my own answers in… following the lead of the people asking the questions."

"Ooo-oo-o hooo-oo-o," Dr Hfuhruhurr said. "The Clever Hans phenomenon."

"Hah!" Dr. Necessiter slapped his knee. "You might be right. It's all about a horse!"

"Are you calling me a horse," Kaname said, her eyes narrowing. "Or are you saying I look like a horse." She closed her eyes. 'Idiot!' She thought. 'I'm in Sousuke's body; not my own!'

"You know the saying-" Dr Necessiter rushed to say. "If the shoe fits… nail it in!" He chuckled.

"Hmmm-mm-m…." Dr Hfuhruhurr rummaged through his lab coat and pants pockets. "I think I have a sugar cube in here somewhere." That earned him blazing glares from both women. "Okay… alright… let me explain. After four years of training by his master Wilhelm von Osten, a mathematics teacher, the horse named Hans was presented to the public. The horse could count the number of persons in the audience, perform arithmetic operations, read the clock, recognize and identify playing cards, and knew the calendar of the whole year. In response to a question he would tap with his hooves either to indicate a number or the right option among many given. The obvious guess was that this was an elaborate hoax, set up through some means of training between horse and master. It soon became apparent, however, that Hans answered not only his trainer, but cooperated even in the absence of his master with any person he had never seen before."

"How-" Kaname wondered how it was done, and how it pertained to her.

"Hans performed arithmetic operations precisely, tapping numbers with his hoof and answered questions in the same way, using an alphabet with letters replaced by numbers… for example 'A' equaled one tap… 'B' equaled two taps… 'C' was three taps… and so forth and so on."

"Hans combined letters to words, words to sentences, and sentences to thoughts and ideas," Dr. Necessiter added."

"Yes," Dr Hfuhruhurr said. "When he was shown a picture, Hans spelled the name of the painter. Similarly, he was able to identify the composer when melodies were played. Even rigorous questions of critical skeptics were answered correctly.

"'Clever Hans' he was called." Anne added. "He was hailed as the first and most famous 'thinking' animal. Biologists… psychologists… medical doctors… experts of all kind…and laymen, too… were rather convinced by this example that animals are able to think in a human way and to express human ideas in non-verbal human language."

"You mean," Kaname said. "Like Sousuke."

"Something like that," Dr Hfuhruhurr said with a smile. "In any case, rigorous testing showed that there was no hoax behind it all. But, despite that, the phenomenon was explained by the meticulous examination of Professor Oscar Pfungst, a biologist and psychologist. He found that the horse was unable to answer any question if the questioning person did not know the answer. And, the horse was unable to answer any question when it could not see the face of his examiner."

"The truth of the matter was that the animal was an excellent and intelligent observer who could read the almost microscopic signals in the face of his master," Dr. Necessiter said. "It realized that if had tapped… or was about to tap… the correct number or letter … it would receive a reward."

"I see," Kaname said. "I will try not to be lead on by anything thing I might see as a reward… either by getting someone to help us… or just to get someone to shut up." She would not try to guess what someone was after and supply them with that answer. "What happened to Hans?"

"Well, it was the whole feast or famine thing." Dr. Hfuhruhurr said. He meant the fall of someone famous, to a life of ignominy.

"No," Dr Necessiter corrected. "It was famine and feast." He grinned, happy with his cleverness. "No longer a celebrity, Hans was drafted as a military horse at the beginning of World War One. A couple of years later, and he was eaten by soldiers."

"-" Kaname put a hand to her mouth.

"Don't worry, Miss Chidori." Dr. Necessiter was drunk on his cleverness. "I assure you, we're all well fed here." Why not one more? "Even though I'm certain that you're a young woman of… good taste."

"I think we have all had enough horsing around!" Anne stomped her foot, the way that a horse might. She had not intended that as a pun. "What is with that racket?

PONY!

There was a loud shout from outside the laboratory.

PONY PONY PONY

The noise was growing louder. People were shouting 'Catch him!' and 'Don't let him go in there!'

PONY PONY PONY PONY PO-NEEEEEE-EEEEE-EEEE-EEE-EE-E

"No," Kaname gasped. "It couldn't be. Could it? She had heard that call before, back when she had been drafter herself, drafted as bait by officer Yoko Wakana.

"Why is he here," Anne exclaimed, recognizing someone before the others in their group saw him. "And why the hell did anyone let him have that head again?"

A man slid to a stop in front of them all. That man wore a horse's head. It was Atsushi Hoketsu, aka the Pony Man or The Pony-Headed Pervert. The same one who had assaulted Kyouko, giving her a pony-tail held together by wire and glue.

"Pony!" Atsushi said.

"I'm sorry." A Security guard walked over, accompanied by two of his fellows and a small platoon of orderlies, nurses, and a doctor or two. He explained the strange turn of events that had allowed the patient to escape form the psychiatric ward, where he had been sent in lieu of prison. "But I have no idea why he came here."

"Uhhh-hh-h-" That was Dr. Necessiter, doing a good Sousuke imitation. "I might have mentioned something to a pretty nurse on the ward." He barely dodged another stomping foot. "I might have mentioned the problem we were all working on. Owww-ww-w." He hopped on one foot. "I thought the patient was asleep."

"I may have something that will help," Atsushi said. He had taken the horse head off. "Before I was fired, after letting my obsession get in the way of my work, I was involved in higher mathematics. And, I understood a great deal about quantum physics."

"Are you going to stamp your hoof one time for 'A' and two times for 'B'?" Dr. Hfuhruhurr quipped. What could a man who had a penchant for wearing a horse's head do where the most brilliant minds in Japan and across the world could not do.

"I hope we have a big shovel here somewhere," Dr Necesiter. "I have a feeling we're going to be up to our necks in horseshit soon."

"Mr. Hoketsu?" Anne asked. She had been instrumental in having the man admitted to their facility and had been following his case.

"Do I know you?" Atsushi was staring at Kaname. His eyebrows rose. He did recognize her. 'Bonta-ku,' he mouthed. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and then opened them again. "The first equation of state for hair was developed by C. F. van Wyk in 1946. Other equations followed. Driven by my obsession, I formulated a mathematical model that predicts the shape of a ponytail given the length and random curvature of a sample of individual hairs. The Ponytail Shape Equation provides an understanding of how a ponytail is swelled by the outward pressure which arises from interactions between the component hairs."

"Huh?" Dr Necewssiter was at a loss for words.

"-" Dr Hfuhruhurr wasn't fairing any better.

"In conjunction with other researchers I developed a general continuum theory for a bundle of hairs, treating each hair as an elastic filament with random intrinsic curvature," the ponytail aficionado continued. . "From this we created a differential equation for the shape of the bundle relating the elasticity, gravity, and orientational disorder and extracted a simple equation of state to relate the swelling pressure to the measured random curvatures of individual hairs. The equation itself is a fourth order non-linear differential equation."

Dr. Necessiter fell to his knees. He held his head in his hands.

"The Rapunzel number is a ratio used in this equation to calculate the effects of gravity on hair relative to its length," Atsushi said. "This number determines whether a ponytail looks like a fan… or whether it arcs over and becomes nearly vertical at the bottom. I love this so much… I mean I dream about it… I can't help but-"

"Do you need another shot?" Anne asked blithely.

"No, Ma'am," Atsushi said sheepishly. "A short ponytail of springy hair with a low Rapunzel number, fans outward. A long ponytail with a high Rapunzel number, hangs down, as the pull of gravity overwhelms the springiness. And, I might add, I understand why jogger's ponytails swing side to side. An up and down motion is too unstable; a ponytail cannot sway forward and backward because the jogger's head is in the way. Any slight jostling causes the up and down movement to become a side to side sway."

Dr Hfuhruhurr was leaning against a large stack of disparate machines. He was twitching, as if he were suffering an epileptic seizure.

"I haven't spoken this many words in a while," Atsushi remarked. "I'm growing a bit hoarse." He stood still a moment, realizing what he had said. "I mean… here it is… the ponytail equation:

l^3 R_{ssss} - ( L - s ) R_{ss} + R_s - pi ( R ) = 0 where pi( R ) = { 4 l^3 P } / { A \rho R }." He began pacing back and forth. "π ( R ) = {pi /3} …where g is the acceleration due to gravity, A is the bending modulus and λ is the density of the hair. A is defined to be A = { E pi d^4 } / { 64 }… E is a constant equal to 4 gigapascal and d is the average diameter of the hair… L is the length of the switch of hair in the ponytail… R is the ponytail radius… s is the arc length from the clamp on the ponytail… P is the pressure due to the clamp… and ρ is the hair density rho = { N } / { pi R^2 }… where N is the number of hairs in the ponytail. Rs is the partial derivative of R with respect to s. The Rapunzel number (Ra) is the ratio Ra = { L } / { l }."

"What numerical values did you use?" Dr. Necessiter was back on his feet. He looked excited.

"The average density of human hair," Atsushi replied. "1.3 grams per cubic centimeter." Also, a bending modulus ( A ) of 8 × 10−9 Newton meter squared… a linear mass density of hair Lambda of 65 micrograms per centimeter and the major diameter of the hair of 79 plus or minus 16 micrometers. N was taken to be 100,000 - the average numbers of hairs on a human head. The constant E was that of nylon which is similar to hair in its bend and twist moduli. The length L was taken to be 25 centimeters. The values give a length at which gravity bends a hair of l = 5."

"But what about the second and forth order derivatives!" Dr Hfuhruhurr was standing at attention. He held his glass eye in one hand, having had it jump out of its socket during his mental and physical convulsions.

"The authors found empirically that by ignoring the second and fourth order derivatives of R with respect to s in the equation allowed for an exact solution to the equation that produced an excellent fit to the observed ponytails." Atsushi specified. "We found that the spread of the ponytail around the anteroposterior axis was symmetrical and made an angle of about 17 degrees with this axis. This angle was approximately constant in all the lengths tested."

"What does any of this matter?" Kaname took a step back sharply when she saw the look on the ponytail lover's face. "I mean… what does it all mean… here… now…" She soon wished that she had kept here mouth shut. The learned men and women gave a five-minute explanation of possible ways to integrate those findings into the physical arrangement of machine wiring, and how they could be used to determine the paths of particles in quantum mechanics theory.

"I need a vacation," Kaname quipped. "But I don't think that I will look very good in my white bikini as I am now." She thought back to the class trip to the beach, the one underneath that huge cliff. She thought about buses, sand, watermelons, and a meeting with a driver dressed as a butler. She did want to think about shotguns, exploding villa walls, an irate cute but frail boy, or another clueless boy who ignored the swimsuit. Floating down from that high cliff with that balloon had been somewhat special, however.

"I don't know," Anne said, having heard Kaname's words. "I think that you would look fetching. I'm sure the girls would all agree." She looked in the direction of the female scientists. The religious ladies had all taken their leave. "But I know you would rather be back in your own body. Back in your own brain." The way that she said that last part made it sound as if she were referring back to the earlier conversation.

"By my brain," Kanam said. "You man my brain, not my brain and partly Sousuke's brain, right?"

"Yes," Anne said, looking pensive. "And… after all your experience with the religious aspect of things… and… well… if things haven't gotten strange enough for you as it is. I'm-"

"A witch!" Dr. Necessiter said. He had had his fill of the growing bromance between Dr. Hfuhruhurr and the pony-dude. He felt as if he had been jilted and left alone at the altar. "A real witch!"

"That's rude," Kaname said in defense of the other woman. "Anne was-"

"It's alright, Kaname." Anne said. "He's right. It's not something I'm ashamed of… but it's also not something I tell many people." She took a breath and let it out slowly. "I'm a Witch. And I may have a way to help keep your mind pure, by keeping your spirit separate from Sousuke's."

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Kaname's head was spinning.

Had she gotten off of the bus to Crazy Town? Was this some kind of an elaborate joke? She pinched herself for the hundredth time that day, but still did not wake from some kind of dream. "Witch craft. Like that movie 'Hocus Pocus'… or … what was it… 'Kikki's Delivery Service'?

"No," Dr Hfuhruhurr said, leaving Atsushi to work with people who had better use for his theorems. "It's more like 'Bewitched'." He was a big fan of old American TV program. "She just twitches her nose, and things happen." He glared back at Anne who looked as if she wished that she could just wiggle her nose and turn him into a toad. "Wait until you meet the others later today."

"Others?" Kaname asked, with a sense of trepidation.

"You know Mithil," Hfuhruhurr said "Leave no stone left unturned. There is another avenue to examine… another corelate to religion as most people view it."

"Let's not confuse the girl any further," Anne said. She turned to Kaname. "I know you've already been bombarded by brains, intelligent horses, and a man who loves ponytails… but I have to ask for your patience… I need to explain some things first… so you will understand."

"You'll need a lot of patience," Dr Necessiter said. He'd had 'the talk' before. "Or you'll become a patient!"

"Shhhhh-hhhh-hhh-hh-h!" Kaname surprised herself and everyone present with that shush. She went to fluff her hair automatically, sighing when she found it naturally was not there. She missed the lustrous feel an that soothing blue color. "Anne….."

"First," Anne said. "I'm me. I'm just the same Anne you've known from this morning to now." She looked as if something in her past had hurt her. Many times, maybe. "I'm not going to hex you or charm you… I'm not going to cast some kind of evil spell on you." She took a deep breath and let it out. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"I trust you." Kaname said. Her sincerity was obvious.

"I did, too" Dr Hfuhruhurr "I asked her to help with my eye."

"Me too," Dr. Nececsster added. "My one tooth was only chipped a bit. Look at me now." He smiled. One engineer almost passed out.

"Boys," Kaname said. "Always so needy… looking for a girl's attention." Kaname saw an image of Sousuke's face. 'Why didn't that warmongering wimp look for attention. Her attention. Wait. What am I thinking? Nevermind!'

"Yes," Anne agreed. "They're a plague upon this earth.' She smiled, looking at Sousuke with a knowing look. She could guess the other girl's feelings, even if the girl couldn't quite do it herself full time. "Unless you find the right one. That one will be the cure, not the disease." She nodded her head. "Do you know what witchcraft is?"

"I-" Kaname thought a moment. Then she told everything that she knew, every bit of which had come from bedtime stories, magazines and books, and of course televisions and movies.

"That's what I expected," Anne said. "In oversimplified terms, Witchcraft is the practice of magic and sorcery to positively or negatively influence a situation or person. Your experience shows that stereotypical concepts of witches are still kept alive in the modern media. There is more to the concept witchcraft than an evil old hag and her black cat practicing black magic."

"There's a real sexy pole dancer who dresses up as a witch," a custodian said, sent over to clean up the mess that resulted when two opposing girls got into a food fight. "She doesn't need a spell book to petrify me."

"Righteous," Dr Hfuhruhurr said. He and Dr. Necessiter pumped their fists in the air.

"That would be Elizabeth Moundsgomery," Dr Necessiter said.

"No," the janitor said. "She's pretty sweet, too. The one I fall in love with every time is Herheine Granger. And that's one bodacious heine!"

"My I borrow your broom a moment?" Anne asked.

"Well… sure…" The janitor handed the broom to Anne.

"Are you going to use it to fly away?" Dr. Necessiter said, slapping hands with Dr. Hfuhruhurr

"Maybe she's going to dance. It is a short pole after all." Dr. Hfuhruhurr. There was more slapping.

"Kaname," Anne began. "Do you like piñatas?"

"Yes," Kaname said. "One of my school friends in America had a birthday party. She had a piñata."

"Do you know what the similarity is between the piñata that you know-" Anne started. "-And the cow-shaped Chinese version filled with seeds… the Spanish, Italian and Indian versions using a clay pot… the Danish version using a wooden barrel… and in this country, were a similar game called suikawari is played where a watermelon shell?"

"No," kaname shook her head.

"They're all struck hard and repeatedly with a stick!" Anne took the broom and began striking the three misogynous men many times apiece. "I would be remiss if I did not include the fine people of Catalonia. They have a Christmastide tradition known as 'fer cagar el tió,' which translates as 'making the log defecate' A log is wrapped with a blanket several days in advance of Christmas and is 'fed' grass and small prizes. On Christmas Eve, the log is repeatedly struck with sticks in order to make the log 'defecates'. The blanket is then removed to reveal the gifts that have been 'expelled' by the log."

"Oh." There was a glint in Kaname's eyes. "You mean they beat the shit out of it."

"Exactly," Anne said. She lashed out, raisng more bumps on the trios heads, almost like they were anime characters. "You trash are lucky I'm not Chinese. After their piñatas are broken, the remains are burned and the ashes are kept for good luck. I could use some good luck…." Her face would have caused a large Nile crocodile to defecate some gifts. "Anyone else in the mood to trivialize women?"

"-" "-" "-" None of the men said anything. The custodian went looking for something else to clean. Something else besides his soiled underwear. The two scientists had innocent looks, like those on manga characters who wanted to avoid some kind of punishment. Or some more punishment. They had had enough. At least for now.

"I'm Wiccan," Anne said. "Have you heard of that?"

"Yes," Kaname replied. "But, I don't remember what I heard."

"Modern day witchcraft exists today in the form of Wicca. It has nothing to do with any of the myths about Western Witchcraft that led to the Salem trials or ancient purges in other countries. It is a part of the Neo-Pagan movement. I… all practitioners… draw from old pagan beliefs and worship a goddess and god. Our spiritual system affirms a harmonious relationship with nature… it believes there is divinity in all things. We celebrate the cycles of nature and perform spells to improve healing, wisdom, love and harmony. And, it is worth noting that Witchcraft has been around for more than a thousand years, predating organized, monotheistic religions like Christianity. Our peaceful way of life only became feared under the influence of Christianity, when the Christians' self-righteous viewpoint labelled witchcraft as evil and heretic."

"Are there many Wiccans in Japan?" Kaname asked.

"No," Anne said. "It's a relatively new religion… even though it pulls traditions from one that were present long before Christianity. Some say it's just a new religion masquerading as a very old one. But, for many of us, it's more than a religion… it's a way of life. Wicca is also called 'The Craft,' 'Benevolent Witchcraft,' and 'The Old Religion'. There are many forms of the Wiccan religion: Hereditary/Family Tradition, Shamanic, Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Celtic, British Traditionalist, Dianic, Faerie, Circle Craft and Eclectic are just some of the variety of Wiccan traditions, or paths. In addition to Wiccans, Contemporary Paganism includes Pantheists, Goddess Spirituality folk, Druids, Heathens, Unitarian Universalist Pagans, Polytheist Reconstructionists, Animists, Ecofeminists, ChristoPagans, and other Nature Spirituality practitioners"

"I see." Kaname said. This wasn't the first time that Kaname felt as if she had led a limited life, blind to many things that existed in the world. "How did you…." She didn't want to pry.

"Like a growing number of young women today… some driven by feminist politics… and some members of the #MeToo movement… I was drawn to witchcraft," Anne explained. "In the USA alone, there are about three hundred thousand Wiccans. Worldwide, the number is close to three million." She didn't feel so alone, saying that. "We should head over to the room now."

"You'll be fine," Dr. Hfuhruhurr said. "We'll be with you… and we really do trust Anne."

"That's right," Dr. Necessiter said. "Wiccans have a firm belief called the Wiccan Rede, which is stated as, 'An' it harm none, do what ye will.' Variations on the rede include 'That it harm none, do as thou wilt' and 'Do what you will, so long as it harms none'."

"It's almost like the Hippocratic Oath," Dr. Hfuhruhurr opined. "First, do no harm."

"It's in this room over here," Anne said, walking out into the hallway and passing by the restroom where Kaname had her 'adventure'. "This was originally going to be the sight of a new scanning technology derived from Black Technology. But, the funding was shunted off to something else." She walked into the room.

Kaname followed. The light was on low. A nine foot circle was present in the center of the room, made with rose petals gathered from every florist within a twenty mile radius. Candles were aligned along the circumference, oriented to the four cardinal directions. At the center, there was an altar.

"Wicca is not a cult," Anne claimed. "We do not proclaim ourselves to be spokespersons for the divine. We do not try to get others to follow us. We do not worship Satan or consort with Demons. Satan is a Christian creation and they can keep him. We do not need a paranoid creation of supreme evil and eternal damnation to scare us into doing the right thing and helping others. We choose to do the right thing and love our brothers and sisters because it is the right thing and it feels good to do it. I suppose it is a maturity thing."

"I see," Kaname said. She felt herself growing closer to the woman somehow. She seemed to have such a strong conviction. No. She took a deep breath. She wasn't necessarily going to stgart believing something, just because someone seemed nice and committed. Right! Not before, and not now. She hadn't gaken up a gun or started planting traps at school, had she? She felt an electric jolt go through her system. Sousuke wasn't doing that in her body, was he? She wouldn't have to do it in this body, if everything failed, would she?

"We do not sacrifice animals or humans because that would violate our basic tenant of 'Harm None', Miss Uumellmahay said. "Anyone who does that and claims to be a Wiccan or a Witch is lying. We have no need to steal or control the life force of another to achieve mystical or supernatural powers. We draw our energy from within, from our personal relationship with the divine and nature."

"Oooooo-oooo-ooo-oo-o-kay," Dr. Necesiter said, feeling almost like someone was trying to flimflam him." He wasn't any more convinced this time around than he was the first time he heard Anne speak on the subject. But, at least she had true conviction and was as unselfish as they came.

"Shhhhh-hhhh-hhh-hh-h!" Dr. Hfuhruhurr elbowed him hard in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.

"So-" Kaname began. "That rule means you don't use the forces of nature or the universe to hex or cast spells on others… just like you won't sacrifice…." She didn't say the word 'animals.'. She thought it. Then she remembered the mascots. "O my god." Those words can just as easily become a saying, not part of a prayer. "After this… I'm going to need a television set. In the lab. Anywhere."

"Hmmm," Anne nibbled on one fingernail. "I don't think that would be for the best." She had heard reports from someone at the school. Sousuke Sagara was definitely not a proponent of 'Harm None.' "We need to keep you focused. I should also mention that Witches have a very strict belief in the Law of Three, which states that whatever we send out into our world shall return to us three fold, either good or bane. With this in mind, a 'True Witch' would hesitate in doing magic to harm or manipulate another, because that boomerang we throw will eventually come back to us much larger and harder than when we threw it."

"I see," Kaname said. "That sounds similar to the Law of Sousuke. If you send him out to do something simple and straightforward, he always misconstrues something, and the results come boomeranging back. Three times a bane? You're lucky. That's nothing compared to him. Hmmm-mm-mpf!"

"I'm here. I hope I'm not late." A man came in that Kaname did not know. He was tall and slender and looked like he ate well and exercised regularly.

"This is Glenn Martin," Anne said by way of introduction. "Glen is Wiccan, too. He will help me in the rite. He was a cheerleader in high school."

"Hey! Don't make that sound like I'm some sissy!" Glen knew that he was being teased. The two of them were very close. Very. "It's not like there's some girl inside me wanting to get… out…" He felt like a buffoon. Looking at Kaname, he said "Sorry, Miss Chidori."

"It's okay," Kaname said.

"He was also a street magician as a young boy," Anne said. "But, the magic he does now is something entirely different. On the side, he's an aspiring Philosophy teacher." She saw Kaname make a face. "Don't worry. There's no such thing as Philosophical Physics." Kaname sighed and looked content.

"But there is Theoretical Physics," Dr. Necessiter remarked. "They'll be paying you a visit shortly, along with thrfldrftrphyl." Dr. Hfuhruhurr held a hand over his mouth.

"Don't fry the girl's neurons!" Dr. Hfuhruhurr said. "One thing at a time."

"Out of a large backpack that he had carried in, Glen took incense representing the element air; a bowl of water representing the element water; a bell; a disc with a five-pointed star; a chalice; a mixing cauldron and herbs; and a wand."

"I love a man who's well-prepared," Anne said. "She added an athame to the gathered items, after removing it from the altar. She also unwrapped some ritual food that she had asked another Wiccan to prepare post-haste. "In all ways." She didn't explain what she meant, but smiled when Glen blushed. This would not be a complete version of the Rite. That would require the two of them to go somewhere in seclusion and have sexual intercourse.

"That knife looks mighty sharp," Dr. Necessiter said, feeling a bit shaky.

"Idiot," Dr Hfuhruhurr said. "It's a ritual knife. They're used for many purposes, but never for cutting."

After a short period of preparation for the Rite, Anne and Glen exchanged food. Glen held the knife, and Anne the chalice, filled with wine. Glen held the knife high above the chalice, blade downward. Both he and Anne chanted "All fruits of the Earth are fruits of your union…Your Womb, your Dance, Lady and Lord. Come, join with us, feast with us, enjoy with us."

Glen said "As the athame is to the God."

Anne said "So the chalice is to the Goddess."

Glen lowered the athame into the chalice. They both said "And together, they bring blessedness."

Anne rung the hand-bell, getting ready to perform the spells that would help Kaname stabilize her true essence and keep it pure from any mixing of thoughts.

Bells are repellers of evil spirits. Bells are associated with the divine. The sound that they make is symbolic of creative power. Their shape is a symbol of the female force and the celestial vault. The sound vibrations created by the ringing of bells possess spiritual power. Hand bells may be rung in rituals to enhance harmony and augment power. The clear, healing tone of a bell that Anne wrung was intended to call in positive, desired energy influences. It called in something else.

"Whoa," a male voice said. "Was that the dinner bell?"

"No," a woman's voice said. "It's a wedding bell, if the love of my life is there." Her voice practically dripped with sarcasm.

"Well, I'm certainly up for ringing someone's bell," a third voice said, with sexless sibilance. "For starters."

"And I'll be more than happy to ring the funeral bell," a third man said. "But… it will be a closed casket ceremony."

"Most definitely," a second woman said, her voice deep and gruff. "And when we're done with everyone in here, they'll all fit in one wooden box." She laughed with the rest of them as they made their way into the room.

"It can't be," Anne said. The three men all had scraggly beards. They were dressed in orange jumpsuits, and had broken chains attached to ankle bracelets. The women looked haggard and much older than their true age. Their hair looked like squirrels had hijacked it to make nests. They wore yellow jumpsuits. Like the men, they had multiple visible tattoos. And each carried a large piece of metal, looking like broken off bed rails. Sharp pieces of metal had been rammed down the openings.

"No Christmas cards for Security this year!" Dr. Necessiter had already been shocked by the Pony Man arrival. This was something in an entirely different galaxy.

"And no secret stash of booze again!" Dr. Hfuhruhurr knew about the intruders, too.

"Who are they," Kaname said to no one in particular.

"Oh… don't say that," one man said, his dentition bad. Teeth were missing. Some of the remaining teeth were broken and jagged, as if he had been hit with a rifle butt. "I'm sure you must remember us. We will never forget you, Sergeant Sousuke Sagara, sir!" He saluted Kaname in mock fashion.

"You're my sweetheart," one of the women said, rting to fluff her hair buy getting her hand stuck. "How can a woman forget when a man touches her breast that way!" That had Kaname gritting her teeth. What had Sousuke done? The answer came swiftly: "Putting a live stun grenade down a woman's cleavage… well that's just like a proposal, isn't it. The other three escapees shared their own violent history with Sousuke Sagara, agent of Mithril.

"Those five are prisoners here," Anne told Kaname and Glen. "They were imprisoned in another section of this floor. Something needed to be kept secret. It's-"

"Because I hear words in my head," one young man said, a huge scar-crossing one white filmy eye. Another souvenir of a fight with a certain Sergeant. The young man seemed to be about Kaname's age. "Really smart words." He spoke with a mechanical cadence. "Fiber-optic lasers to revolutionize directed energy systems. Combing multiple fiber laser modules to form a single, powerful, high-quality beam. Cold Fusion with a Palladium cathode and Deuterium-rich rich fluid bypassing the Theory of Relativity. High efficiency resonance ionization. Shit like that."

"Whispered," Anne mouthed.

Kaname nodded her head. She had guessed correctly.

"Th-they're…" Glen swallowed hard. "Escaped mental patients?"

"Be careful what you say, pretty boy!" One woman shook a sharp slat of steel at the Wiccan man. "Or I might go Psycho on you!" She shrugged. "Well… I was going to do that anyway…."

"I'll explain later," Anne said quietly. But, one of the small mob had very acute hearing.

"Their won't be a tomorrow for the Suck-Ass Sergeant,' the scarred man said. "And, there won't be any witnesses." His words were plain. He wasn't implying blindfolds… removing only one person from the room…or any anything like that. The man was suggesting a final solution for all of them.

"We should do something," Dr. Necessiter said. "This is totally FUBAR."

"That's right," Dr. Hfuhruhurr said. "one of us should stop them or delay them until help arrives."

The two men shoved Anne towards the invaders.

In Japan, drugs have traditionally been sold by people with links to organized crime. Much of speed available on the streets of Japan is sold by directly by the yakuza or by members of motorcycle gangs or immigrants. Japanese reportedly find buying drugs from immigrants a less frightening experience than purchasing them from the yakuza.

Dealers come from all walks of life and employ a number of different methods. An increasing number are operating out of clubs and bars in entertainment district or through Internet and cell phone networks. Many dealers are foreigners. Of the five hundred smugglers and dealers arrested that very year, over one hundred and fifty were non-Japanese. Many drug dealers in Tokyo are Iranians. They primarily sell stimulants in parks and parking lots. Some offer fake telephone cards, cocaine, heroin shabu-shabu and hashish.

The scarred man was an Iranian crime boss known as the 'King of Fear.' At such a surprisingly young age, he reportedly ran a one thousand-dealer ring, and had the distinction of once beginning training to be an Olympian wrestler. He was also an arms dealer, thanks to a connection to terrorist groups in western Africa, who had been switching their business to Japan in search of higher profits. And just before his capture, The King had been selling his Whispered information to the highest bidder. That was what brought Mithril into their world. Mithril and Sousuke Sagara.

"Sagara," the King said. "You did us a favor, in a way. Before you and those other assholes took us down, you also took out a lot of the competition." Sousuke, Kurz, and Melissa had taken down a number of drug gangs before they found the one they had been given intel on. The Whispered target had been found and taken into custody. Many men and women died. None escaped. The five survivors in the particular drug cell that they assaulted were handed over to the police. "The Chinese were growing too powerful. You jack-wads saved me a lot of men and a lot of time. Same with the damn Dutch. You also took out some yakusa bastards who were taking big cuts in way of a commission. We didn't dare touch those guys ourselves."

"That's right," one woman said. "When we get out of here, we will be the only group in Japan that still has a meth lab. We'll undercut those fucking smugglers in China, North Korea, Taiwan and the lab owners in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines."

"And we have plenty of people left in places you never attacked." The Whispered man gave Kaname… Sousuke to him… the finger. "It's a good thing you found me early. And I can't thank you enough for my being brought here. It's better than the goddamn Shima National Park Amanemu or Ritz-Carlton Kyoto. Why, the room service is quite special, and the meals have to be tasted to be believed." He spat. The spit landed in the ceremonial chalice.

"It's party time," The King said. "So… let's parrr-rr-r-tay…" He and the other criminals started walking towards their intended victims. The King headed straights towards Kaname/Sagara.

"It's a party," a voice said. One that Kaname thought sounded somewhat familiar. "And we were not invited. Washio… check my datebook… see if you overlooked this cheerful celebration." A young man stood at the doorway now. It was Masatami Hyuga.

"No Master, there is nothing here," Washio said, adjusting his bowler hat. "The only entry is your doctor's appointment. I m must say, master, but the clinicians here are doing a wonderful job with you. I will give them a call and let them know that you might be a bit late,…if you want to thank the man who showed you the way." He looked over at the man he knew as Sousuke Sagara. The man who had defeated him during a confrontation at the mansion.

"Please do so," Masatami said. He was eyeing the five drug dealers who had stopped their assault, turning to see if there was a significant threat. One laughed at the boy. Two others snickered. 'It's so cute,' another said and 'Can I keep it'. Those actions did not please the master or his servants.

"It might do you better to keep your arms and legs," a bespectacled man in a white chef's outfit said. I'm Sameshjima, and my mercenary name was Sammy the Slasher. I would be very happy to show you how I got that name." He did fancy moves with a sword and a long knife.

"I like to think that anyone who makes fun of the master has a hole in their heart," the stubble-faced Hyodo said. He raised up his multi-shot crossbow. "Doesn't make me feel so bad that way, when I give them another hole in their heart."

"Your axe, master." Washio handed Masatami a small-sized axe. It was a United Cutlery M48 Hawk, something the master had fallen in love with, after reading an advertisement in a mercenary magazine. Masatami believed that the claims were true, and that an axe has more reach and requires less dexterity than a knife… can be useful with less training… and might be a plus where visibility is low. Glancing blow causes more damage with axes. And, they can be more than just weapons on an adventure. They could be used to chop would and perform other useful tasks.

Thank you, Washio" the master said. said. "Let us all remember our creed. One I owe to Sergeant Sagara. "Don't give into weakness!" He had become a gym rat, after the doctors at this hospital had helped him begin the difficult process of overcoming his autonomic inbalance, and his yearnings for a traitorous cousin that had left him in a state much like PTSD. "We always show guts! We always show spirit!"

"Guts!" Washiol said, brandishing his umbrella.

"Spirit!" Hyhodo shook his crossbow.

"I still have a spare knife," Sameshima pleaded. He did not agree with the choice of an axe. It didn't seem refined. And, he considered the weapon to be very bad choice for close-quarter combat. There simply isn't room for swinging an axe in all situations, and both the backswing and the follow-through can be hazardous to your comrades in case you miss.

"I told you my decision before," Masatami said sternly. "And a man does not go back on his choices. Sagara said that my baseball bat with nails was just for show." He swung the axes in vicious slashes. "This is not for show. With an axe, I can do anything." Sousuke wasn't his only inspiration. He had read a story in that magazine.

In World War Two, a Russian cook by the name of Ivan Sereda was preparing porridge for his hungry comrades who were off on patrol. Unexpected, two tanks of the 10th Tank Regiment of the 8th German tank division showed up. Ivan only had two weapons available to him, a carbine and an axe. What could he possibly do with them against the tanks? Most men would have run away. But, he would not abandon the meal he was cooking to the foe. So, he first thought to hide in the field kitchen. And, he was content to do only that as one tank passed by. But, the second tank ran through a part of the kitchen, and stopped. The kitchen would make a useful trophy for the tankers. The tank commander stuck a head out of the tank and laughed, saying something to the remaining members of the crew.

"Hende Hoch!" Ivan called out in German, 'hands up.' He ran towards the tank with his carbine up. He was filled with rage. No one was going to steal the porridge that he was making for his boys!

The German, seeing the Russian soldier running towards him, dived into the hatch. He ordered the gunner to fire the machine gun, which he then did. The shots missed the angry enemy.

Having picked up a piece of tarpaulin, Ivan jumped on the tank and covered the vision slots, depriving the tankers of their view of the outside. The machine gun continued to fire, until the cook bent the barrel with two blows of his axe. Next, he began to hammer that axe on the hatch violently, giving commands to non-existent comrades: "Surround them, boys! Use your grenades to disable the tracks. Bring up the anti-tank weapons. Surrender. Ganshiki. Hende Hoch!"

The tank crew was stunned and blinded. They were clearly confused. How many people surrounded them? Should they drive blind? What if there was ZiS-2 57-mm anti-tank gun? Or a 100mm BS-3 field gun? And the grenades. They must RPG-43 with shaped charge HEAT warheads. Hatches opened. Tankers climbed out. Ivan remembered his carbine, and told the enemy tankers to drop their weapons and to bind one another with rope that he threw them. When his comrades returned from their patrol, they found the cook sitting near a captured tank and the bound captives.

"If a cook can take out a tank with an axe," Masatami said with confidence. He had worked hard to overcome his psychosomatic issues, and had tried to build himself in the image of the victor from that life-changing day. "Just think what a master can do!"

Sameshima opened his mouth to say that a cook like him could do much worse equipped with knives, but knew that his opinion would be rejected once again. He would just have to show the master how good a knife and a sword can be.

"We should remember to be polite," Washio said to the master.

"What?" Masatami looked confused at first, but soon smiled and nodded his head. "Quite so." He turned to Kaname. "Sergeant, would you like first crack at them?

"Oh… well…" Kaname was flustered at first. Stop. Think. What would Sousuke say? "Emmmm." She stood tall and straight, as if she were reviewing troops on a training filed. "Even a tank would be boring. And, I am not here on duty. If you want to gain combat experience I don't wish to stand in your way." She grinned. An evil idea came to mind. Things would not go well, for the escaped prisoners, who were facing off against the odd looking newcomers, wondering if they should attack first, or make a quick run at their Mithril captor. "I would also never deny a man a chance at revenge. Those women are traitors. They are traitors to men. They made promises they would not keep. They laugh at the men that they cheat on. They invite them to their weddings."

"Those… those… those…" Masatami fought to find the word that he wanted. He had worked hard to become more than a frail boy physically; but, he wasn't a rude boy at heart.

"Bitches, master?" Washio offered helpfully. He was the ideal man-servant.

"Those bitches," Masatami said. "Make them surrender at the very least. It's time I repay my debt to the sergeant."

"It may be a bit premature… and I'm thankful for the rescue," Anee said. "But could you keep from stepping on the circle… please.

The fight didn't last long. It also wasn't much of a fight. The prisoners were tough street-hardened individuals. They had each killed many men in their degenerate lives. But, they would have stood a better chance jumping into a large industrial meat grinder than facing that axe-wielding youth and his deadly servants. Hopefully, for the sake of the vanquished, the hospital had physicians who were skilled at reattaching limbs, and closing large wounds. A visit from an oral surgeon would also be quite useful. But, if things were left the way they were for too long, it would not be a problem: there was no doubt a Morgue on the premises.

After the rescuers went on their merry way, the young master happy to be able tell a positive story to his doctors and counselor, Anne and Glen gathered up their wits and finished the spells and ceremonies that they had promised. Kaname didn't feel any different than she had before the Wiccan ministering. But, with what they were attempting to prevent, she shouldn't expect to notice any changes.

"I hope that did the trick," Dr Hfuhruhurr said. "I think it might have cured my constipation."

"No, the ruffians did that," Dr. Necessiter quipped. "I thought you were going to shit yourself."

"Ummm… doctor…" Kaname pointed at Dr. Necessiter's feet. He was standing in a big pool of urine.

"Furbie!" Dr. Necessiter looked embarassed. "There will be no mention of this to anyone." He folded his arms across his chest, a menacing look in his eyes. "Or else someone might hear about the time we went to do research at the animal hospital… you got drunk… and you seduced the goat."

"Gah!" Dr. Hfuhruhurr blurted. "Mum's the word. Mum's the word." He looked even more unhinged when Kaname said 'More mums….'

"Back to the lab, everyone." Anne said. She told Glen that he could come with them. She whispered in his ear 'You can cum without them when we're done hear.' He tagged along, whistling a happy tune.

Kaname wasn't so happy at the moment. No, it wasn't the same earlier disdain that she felt about having to have her soul examined under a microscope, or have her brain squeezed dry of every thought that she had. The encounter in the ritual room had helped her begin to understand what it meant being a high school boy who worked for a super-secret organization.

How many people were there in the world that he had foiled, captured, or killed? How many held grudges, and were hoping some day to settle the score? "It happens at school, too." Her stomach rumbled. She hadn't eaten anything today. Thinking about Sousuke, adversaries, and food together made her know exactly what she wanted for breakfast.

"I want a croquette sandwhich, and a custard-filled pastry," Kaname said. She thought about Mr. Kogure, and his grudge against Sousuke. The gym teacher was still on administrative leave, after trying to sabotage the food that she and her friends were selling, with insect parts, laxative, and tiny needles. "But I would like my food without the traps, thank you very much!"

At least, with Sousuke posing as Kaname Chidori, there wasn't any need for traps. Right? He'd be sure to listen to her when she told him not to do anything weird, or anything dangerous. Right? Just the way that he didn't listen to her about not setting traps in the food. An electrical trap. A tear gas trap. Thoughts about numerous other acts of disobedience came rushing unbidden into her mind. She grew more worried with every step she took.

"I think I lost my appetite," she said. "And I need borrow a smart phone, or an iPad."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"We'll just have to see who's waiting for us," Anne told Glen

"What?" Glen looked a bit confused at first, but snapped his fingers and said. "Right! I remember what you said on the phone. It will be very interesting, whoever it might be.

Kaname wasn't eager to see what else Mithril and the hospital administrators might have dreamed up. She also fervently hoped that the Kaname Rule of Threes had taken the day off. Things tended to happen in threes for her. She already had two unexpected visitors today. Well, one visitor and one visiting group. She didn't count the drug dealers… that was Sousuke's past, not hers.

"Who's next," Kaname said quietly to herself. "Yakusa from the Mikihara Gang? Akutsu and her group? Ahhh-" She stumbled over the next name. There was no reason to feel uneasy. She hadn't done anything against the law, and she had paid her secret debt. Also, what were the odds that she or Sousuke would run into her again. "Forget Wakana." Sousuke is such a magnet for trouble! "At least Gauron and those A21 guys are dead. I sure hope there isn't an A22." No kidnapping! No Arm Slaves in the city! And no ghosts! Or people pretending to be ghosts! They were in a hospital, true; but, it wasn't a burned-down hospital. She calmed down, thinking about a bicycle ride with Sousuke that night; he had admitted he was finally afraid, when he thought that she was seriously injured. "There better not be a Japan Post guy showing up with a thermos filled with the Full Monty Virus!" Necessiter and Hfuhruhurr nude? Anything but that!

"That's who it is," Anne remarked. "I wasn't sure if she would be easy to find. Or, if she would consent to come. I'm glad that she agreed to leave Okinawa. She has never been to comfortable around mainland Japanese.""

"Yuta do like payment," Glen remarked. "And… because you asked… she might consider it professional courtesy."

"They're here too," Dr. Hfuhruhurr said without clarifying. "I knew they couldn't miss out on something like this. I wonder if they will come up with something useful."

"Posh," Dr. Necessiter sneered. "We don't need them. We need more quantum engineers."

So," Kaname said. "Who are the Mystery Dates?" She felt a sense of foreboding after making that joke. What if it was more hormonally driven clingy girls! Why couldn't it be hot boys! No, forget that.

"Our first visitor is Himiko," Anne told Kaname. "That's the only name she goes by, and she has never told me her real name." She walked Kaname over to meet a graying old woman dressed in simple clothing common on Okinawa. "She's a Yuta. A spiritual counselor who claims to sense the will of the spirits, and to be able to intercede with them on a client's behalf. Yuta have also been referred to as 'monoshiri' or 'kamikakariya'."

"I will meet you," Himiko said to Kaname when introduced. "I am yuta. It is part curse and part blessing. Let me tell you this. Nobody becomes a yuta because they want to. Little by little, things happen that tell you that the gods aren't going to let you live or die, and that they will slowly drive you insane rather than let you go. As did others like me, I received my calling through the experience of mental and physical conditions known as kami-daari. The only cure for that insanity was for me to fulfill my spiritual obligations by searching out a special patron among the kami and serving her. I shall not tell you her name."

Himiko questioned Kaname about her past, especially about her childhood and everything she knew about her closest relatives, as many generations back as she could remember. She consulted privately with her deity… questioned the spirits… and made her diagnosis. "I have found things about your ancestors that may be laying heavy on you. None of that would have caused your hardship. I believe that your mother's spirit is haunted by the fact that she never had a chance to help you grow into a woman. But, that is not the source of your difficult situation. I sense a powerful and angry spirit. I will need to banish it."

After the yuta performed her shamanistic cure, she had one final thing to tell Kaname. "I have correctly predicted tsunami and earthquake alike. And… I am sorry to say… I sense a catastrophe coming for you."

"You probably sense Sousuke," Kaname said flippantly. "He's a walking catastrophe. If he went up against a tsunami and the earfthquake that caused it, neither one would stand a chance against him."

"No," Himiko said with certainty. "The catastrophe will separate the two of you." After that, she left to head back to her island home, a good deal wealthier than when she arrived.

"I have people to introduce, too." Dr Hfuhruhurr ran through a list of names. "They are all Theoretical and Experimental Physicists." They were also the cutest and most handsome men that Kaname had ever seen. She felt like thanking her lucky stars, but quickly shook off that idea. It wasn't because she was in Sousuke's body… and admittedly, that would make any kind of attraction very strange. If she flirted with those guys in her own body, she would somehow feel like she was a traitor, thinking as she did about the way that Masatami viewed his cousin as someone who had betrayed him. But, would Sousuike even care?

"Glen, look." Anne was standing near Kaname too. "Thank our lucky stars. They made it, too." She told Kaname that a wlman claiming to be a Japanese Witch had arrived, as had an Onmyouji."

"How-" Kaname felt flustered. Not this again. Two competing groups at the same time. She didn't feel like being the rope in another scientific and religious tug-of-war. She had come out of the last melee feeling like a piece of taffy that had been stretched way too far and far too many times.

"Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena," Dr Hfuhruhurr explained. "This is in contrast to experimental physics, which uses experimental tools to probe these phenomena."

"The advancement of science generally depends on the interplay between experimental studies and theory." Dr. Necessiter added. "Theoretical physics consists of several different approaches. Some scientists might employ empirical formulas to agree with experimental results, often without deep physical understanding. Others but to model speculative theories that have certain desirable features or apply the techniques of mathematical modeling to physics problems. Some attempt to create approximate theories, called effective theories, because fully developed theories may be regarded as unsolvable or too complicated. Other theorists may try to unify, formalise, reinterpret or generalise extant theories, or create completely new ones altogether. Sometimes the vision provided by pure mathematical systems can provide clues to how a physical system might be modeled. We can use their help in confirming our theories about what happened, and they may be able to help us judged ghe effectiveness of our mechanical constructs."

"Don't go off the deep end, Nessie," Dr Hfuhruhurr said. "Kaname cannot swim in physics like you can. She'll drown, and all of our work will go to waste." He saw a donut, picked it up off of an unsuspecting engineer's plate, and handed it to Kaname. "Here. A present. It's a life preserver." It was shaped like the floats thrown off of ships in old movies. "Theoretical problems that need computational investigation are often the concern of computational physics. We have one of those gents with us today, too."

"I'm blessed," Kaname said. "Starving, she took a small nibble of donut. Before she knew it, she began attacking the pastry the way lions attack a fallen zebra. A flash went off. She looked up to see Glen holding a cell phone.

"It's really quite funny," Glen said. "The way the frosting is smeared all over your face looks like the way cake icing is spread over a baby eating its first piece of cake. I'm certain Sergeant Sagara would love to see this." He looked at Anne, who gave him an adoring gaze. "Maybe we should start a scrapbook for him. He wasn't lucky to be here, to experience all this."

Kaname's jaw fell open. The last remaining crumb of donut made a leap to safety, falling from her tongue. Picture? Sousuke.? Scrap book? Lucky to be here? Had that guy been dropped on his head when he as a baby?! Just how much was she going to have to put up with?

"Hello, Kaname," a familiar voice said. "I had to come and make sure my favorite Sergeant was holding on." That joke only made things worse.

It was Tessa.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tessa.

Tessa and Theoretical Physicists.

Tessa acting all cutesy with Theoretical Physicists.

A Japanese Witch.

A Japanese Witch and Tessa.

A Japanese Witch and an Onmyouji and a very cutesy Tessa.

"Ooooo-oooo-ooo-oo-o."" If Kaname was a fitted pipe, there would be jets of steam shooting out from a failing seam. "What did I ever do… or my relatives do… or some damned spirit do for me to deserve this!" She was overreacting. Tessa wasn't anathema to her. But, she just didn't want people that she knew to see her like this.

Speak of the devil and he appears. Or she.

"Sousuke," Tessa walked up, after speaking to some of the newer arrivals. She felt a need to trouble the other girl. Well, the girl in a guy's body. She correctly guessed that Kaname needed to break out of a funk. "I mean, Miss Chidori" She had a devilish look in her eyes. "You know… once… when Sousuke and I were together… I said that if people saw us, they would think we were boyfriend and girlfriend." She chuckled. "Now... if we did that... they'd think we were girlfriend and girlfriend..." That was a play on the situation, and a play for Sousuke, if a bit inside out and upside down.

"That-" Kaname had no immediate response for that. She was too tied up in knots, emotionally. And, the possible angles of Tessa's joke were too many to unravel in her current mindset. She could allow the other Whispered a small victory. A very small win.

"I'm sorry," Tessa said, immediately feeling somewhat small. All was fair in love and war... at least that was what she had read. She had plenty of experience with the latter; none with the latter. "I shouldn't tease you." She played with her ponytail. "I can imagine what it might be like if I were in your shoes." She meant that two ways. The body switch. And, being the one that Sousuke appeared to have an actual attraction to. "I guess I'm jealous." But, even so, if there was the slightest beacon of hope, she would set sail for it. "-" She felt a tightness in her chest. The thought that flashed across the picture screen of her mind was unworthy of her: if her brother had a true interest in Kaname, maybe that would open an opportunity of herself and the sullen soldier. Then again... if life gives you lemons, make lemonade...

"You wanted the body swap," Kaname joked, forcing the humor. Her eyes went wide. What would have happened if she and Tessa had swapped bodies, and not Tessa and Sousuke. What would Sousuke have done then? She closed her eyes and rubbed them. No sense running down that mental track. "Be careful what you wish for," she continued. "Sousuke, that is. He's... not... easy!. I mean… it... he... everything... is so frustrating. I can't ever really tell if he likes me or not. It makes me doubt my own feelings. And I have enough doubts. Will I be captured? Will Sousuke dike protecting me, our far away in some battle? What will either of us be doing after we graduate? What kind of life would I have with Sousuke? Would we get married on a submarine? During an A.S. battle? With Al as the best man? With you as the piñata at the reception? And with a pissed off Melissa holding the stick? Kurz claiming to be the best man?" She needed to calm down. Tessa was not a rival. She was a friend. Or, at least a kindred spirit.

"Wow," Tessa said. "You certainly do have a lot on your mind. A lot more than some simple mind-body transfer." She was only partly joking. The transfer still might be reversed. But, all of those misgivings bubbling to the surface would not. "Maybe we should ask the nice witch if she can make a potion to help you. Maybe she can work a spell that can turn back time, so you both can shape your lives better. Maybe you should ask if she can send you to an alternate reality."

"Right," Kaname snorted. "Frogs. If we were both turned into frogs, he would still find some way to misinterpret everything in the pond. There would be traps for turtles. Fights with fish. Night raids against newts. There would be Piscean panic. Amphibian angst and anger. Reptilian retaliation. And if there were birds, they'd go ballistic." She laughed. "Yes. I wish there was some way to turn back time. Like that can ever happen!"

"I guess you're right," Tessa said. "A snake can shed its skin… but a leopard cannot change his spots. But if he did…" She twirled her ponytail. "He wouldn't be the same. And I bet you would miss those spots. I know how hard things must be. And I don't want to scare you. But the two of you are in danger together… but you would still be in danger alone." She sighed. She sounded experienced, but she was still a lonely girl. A lonely girl with a big responsibility. A lonely girl who still wished that Sousuke had chosen her. "But… isn't it better to have someone willing to fight for you? And having someone you want on your side?"

Anne was calling over to Kaname. It was time for her to chat with the witch. Tessa told her fellow Whispered not to worry. The witch was a very nice woman.

"Wait… Sergeant… I mean Miss Chidori…." A physicist called out. "I had something we should discuss, in case you have any Whispers that might help us. We are dealing with the unknown here. It is possible that some of the greatest remaining questions in science might give us some clues." He was soon joined by a swarm of buzzing scientists.

"I promise," Kaname said, feeling as if the black cloud floating above her had tripled in size. "I will speak with you guys next." A figurative light bulb went off over her head. The cloud turned into small black streamers and then was gone. "Do you know that we have two Whispereds here today? See that cute silver-haired girl over there. The type that nerds prefer. She much smarter than me. She helped design the most advance submarine in the world." She pointed over at Tessa. "I bet she can help you."

"Well…." The scientists didn't sound convinced.

"She's unattached," Kaname said with a sly aside. The sound of sneakers squeaked, just like they did during basketball game as the Jindai gym. A mass of male missiles were flying at the cute little Captain.

"Tessss-sss-ss-a !"

Kaname could hear the first scientist call out. He must have been the fasted, the boldest, or the one who had fought his way to the front of the mob.

"Miss Testaro-o-o-o-osa!"

Another voice called out. The scientists had zeroed in on their target. They should be leaving Kaname alone for a while.

"Do you know this story? Do you? Do you?" A physicist shouted overt the enteaties of his fellows. "Two scientists work at the same university in different fields. One studies huge objects far from Earth. The other is fascinated by the tiny stuff right in front of him. To satisfy their curiosities, one builds the world's most powerful telescope, and the other builds the world's best microscope. As they focus their instruments on ever more distant and ever more minuscule objects, they begin to observe structures and behaviors never before seen… or imagined. They are excited but frustrated because their observations don't fit existing theories."

"My turn," another physicist called out. "One day they leave their instruments for a caffeine break and happen to meet in the faculty lounge, where they begin to commiserate about what to make of their observations. Suddenly it becomes clear to both of them that although they seem to be looking at opposite ends of the universe, they are seeing the same phenomena. Like blind men groping a beast, one scientist has grasped its thrashing tail and the other its chomping snout."

"Hey, look at me!" Another voice. Another besotted PhD. "Comparing notes, they realize it's the same alligator. This is precisely the situation particle physicists and astronomers find themselves in today. Physicists, using linear and circular particle accelerators as their high-resolution 'microscopes,' study pieces of atoms so small they can't be seen. Astronomers, using a dozen or so new supersize telescopes, also study the same tiny particles, but theirs are waiting for them in space. This strange collision of information means that the holy grail of particle physic… understanding the unification of all four forces of nature will be achieved in part by astronomers."

"Crap," Kaname said, looking quickly around, hoping no one heard her crude exclamation. "Astronomers. I don't need astronomers, too. Just like I hope they don't send in astrologers." Seeing where Anne stood speaking to a well-coiffed woman in a lovely pastel dress, she headed over. The sound of scientists grew fainter, but were still there.

"Tessa… Tessa… over here Tessa."

Kaname felt guilty, palming the men off the other girl. But, Tessa hadn't just stopped by to offer a word of encouragement. She had come by to see if she might be of some use. Two Whispered might be better than one. Hell, the other girl might even find herself going out on a date.

"Tessa," the overfly eager voice continued. " The implications are exciting to scientists because bizarre marriages of unrelated phenomena have created leaps of understanding in the past. Pythagoras, for example, set science spinning when he proved that abstract mathematics could be applied to the real world. A similar leap occurred when Newton discovered that the motions of planets and falling apples are both due to gravity. Maxwell created a new era of physics when he unified magnetism and electricity. Einstein, the greatest unifier of them all, wove together matter, energy, space, and time."

"But no one has woven together the tiny world of quantum mechanics and the big world we see when we look through a telescope," Tessa remarked. "As these come together, physicists realize they are getting very close to a single "theory of everything" that accounts for the fundamental workings of nature, the long-sought unified field theory." She was right. But, it might have been better if she hadn't been. Her response was a match to a pool of kerosene… a red cape to a bull… a bucket of blood spilled in front of sharks.

The 'Tessa' calls were soon drowned out by the sound of buzzing, burping, ringing, and resonating machines that she walked past. "Divide and conquer," Kaname told herself just before she heard a plesant greeting from the witch, whose name was Akko Kagari.

"I thank you for coming out here to help me," Kaname told the woman. She noticed that Akko was wearing a small gold fox-pin on her dress.

"It's my pleasure," Akko replied. "I have ended up visiting many interesting places in my role as a Witch. And I have met many fascinating people. Hopefully I will be able to find out why this place is so interesting…" She waved an arm in a sweeping motion, making reference to the growing mounds of machinery. It was as if the different scientific groups were playing a game of 'Chopped', seeing what they could build with their mystery ingredients. "And why you are so fascinating."

Kaname wondered if the self-proclaimed witch meant that she was fascinating because she was Whispered… because she had undergone the body-mind swap… or both. "If I wasn't so… you know, frazzled… I would think you were interesting, too."

"Thank you," Akko said. "I'll take that as a complement. I generally get a good reaction from people, unlike those who practice Western magic. In Japan, the Shinto religion is itself a shamanistic religion and thus our fellow countrymen do not attach negative connotations to witchcraft. The word "witch" is actually used with positive connotation in the Japanese language, as a female with high skills or fame. Asian witchcraft generally centers on the relationship between the witch and the animal spirits or familiars." She ran a finger over her pin. "In Japanese witchcraft,,, practitioners… mostly women… are commonly separated into two categories: those who employ snakes as familiars, and those who employ foxes. But they are not exactly familiars, in the sense that rabbits are for Chinese witches, who have many practices similar to the Western traditions. Books. Staves. Implements of many types. Extensive knowledge of plants and herbs with occult properties. Clairvoyance. Astrology."

"That-" Kaname couldn't help herself, she had made a face. She couldn't help herself. Mizuki had fallen for Western style astrology hard. She was always looking through horoscope books at school, trying to find clues about how to win Tsubaki's heart. She knew that Eastern astrology was different. Like the Mayans and Indians, the Chinese attach importance to astronomical events, and have developed elaborate systems for predicting terrestrial events from celestial observations.

"Don't worry, dear." Akko had noticed. "I do not practice astrology. And, up front, I should mention that I use foxes. But, they are not the tricksters of legend, trapping people with shape changing or illusion. I do not use them to possess people; rather, I use them to sniff out possession."

Right on cue, a Secuity guard walked in the room. He held a leash. The leash was attached to a golden collar, around the neck of a large and well-groomed fox. "Your… ummm… dog is here, Ma'am. Sorry, but the hospital has rules about animals being off leash."

Immediately after the guard left, Akko took the leash off of her fox, whose name she said was Kashikoi. "She is not evil," she said. "There are traditions that say once a fox enters the employ of a human, it becomes a force of evil to be feared. You have nothing to fear from Kashikoi." The fox was sitting on its haunches, looking at Sousuke's body, sniffing the air. "The guard, that's a different story. I think she would like to nip him in the butt. She hates being called a dog."

The witch told Kaname that she wasn't concerned about Obake… shapeshifters. She didn't think there was anything that would suggest the work of Yūre… the ghosts of the deceased who are stuck between life and death, and can only move on when their unfinished business is resolved, much like ghosts in Western mythology. What she needed to explore, with the help of her fox, was the possibility that youkai were involved.

"My mother told me stories about different types of youkai when I was a child," Kaname said. "There were so many types. There are so many shapes and sizes. But… I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary…" She sighed. "Except exploding shoe lockers… things like that."

"I see," Akko smiled. She had been given a quick run-down on Kaname Chidori and Sousuke Sagara. "Well, not all youkai make themselves visible to humans. And while they may be mischievous at times, they usually resort to nothing more than pranks. You know, like when you can't find your car keys or the TV remote… or like some people…" She glanced over at Dr. Hfuhruhurr and Dr. Necessiter, who were standing behind a control panel, ogling girls. "Their mother finds their pornography out in the open… or their wife finds their secret internet sites…"

"But-" Kaname knew that there was a but.

"There are those spirits who are strong enough to cause droughts, hurricanes, any number of calamities," Akko said. "You know… something like your boyfriend." Her laugh was crisp, like the ring of a fine brass bowl.

"He's-" Kaname was going to issue a denial; but oddly enough, she didn't.

"It's the possessing spirits that I am worried about," Anne continued. "They do far worse than pranks. Tsukimono are almost exclusively youkai or animal spirits invading human bodies. This is rarely a spontaneous event. The youkai possesses the human as an act of revenge, for example, when a human kills one of the youkai's children, or destroys it's home, or something along that lines. Or it could be simple greed, like a fox who wants to eat a delicious treat that it normally can't get its paws on. The reasons are as innumerable as the youkai themselves."

"Treat." Kaname's belly rumbled. Great. Now she was thinking about custard filled pastries. Maybe she could have someone make a run to a bakery.

"Hungry, dear?" Akko asked the fox to get something she had brought with her. The animal dutifully trotted off, and when it returned, it had a large white paper bag in its mouth. It dropped that at Kaname's feet. "It's for you. You can thank Kashikoi. She thought you might be hungry. Go ahead. We've already eaten."

Kaname opened the bag. "But how-" Her mind went blank. She couldn't believe what she saw. There were multiple types of golden-brown flaky pastry. She took one out… bit into it… and quickly caught a glob of escaping custard that threatened to stain Sousuke's shirt.

Anne left the mystery mysterious, as she continued with her talk. "Just as there are countless types of youkai, the effects of the possession vary widely as well. In many possessions the victim takes on the attributes of the youkai or animal. A victim of tanuki possession is said to voraciously overeat until their belly swells up like a tanuki, causing death unless exorcized."

"And they get big balls," Dr. Necessiter added helpfully. He had wandered over, nosey as usual. "Because… you know… tanukis have big…" He couldn't finish. The gaze the fox gave him was unnerving.

"I see," Akko said. "That's not exactly something proper, is it?" Kaname didn't know if the other woman was seriously conversing with the fox, or if she was putting on a show for their unwanted guest. The witch explained: "Kashikoi wonders why a man with raisins is worried about men who have watermelons." She looked down at the fox. "She wonders if the doctor might be possessed by an Oonyuudou. That's a youkai with a tendency to shrink things."

Dr. Necessiter left in a huff.

"Where was I?" Anne said, hiding a grin behind her hand. The fox made no effort to hide its glee, licking its paw and looking pleased. "Uma-tsuki… horse possession… can cause people to become ill-mannered, huffing at everything and sticking their face into their food to eat like a horse. Then there is-"

"PONY!"

Someone had heard that last comment. It was Pony Man, of course. For some reason, Atsushi had the horse head back on again.

"Pony… pony pony pony…. pony pony pony pony… pony?" He was speaking to Anne, but it was Kashikoi who replied ow-wow-wow-wow-wow with a yappy bark and ack-ack-ack-ackawoooo-ack-ack-ack with guttural chattering and occasional yelps and howls.

"So that's what a fox sounds like, Kaname remarked.

"Dear?" Akko asked.

"Well… you know… the cow goes moo, the duck goes quack… we all know those…. but no one ever mentions foxes." Kaname "And… well there's a song…." She thought about 'What Does The Fox Say', by Norwegian dance-pop duo Ylvis. It was almost like someone read her mind. Not the Witch. The Pony. Atsushi had taken off his horsehead and began to sing:

"Dog goes "woof"
Cat goes "meow"
Bird goes "tweet"
And mouse goes "squeek"
Cow goes "moo"
Frog goes "croak"
And the elephant goes "toot"
Ducks say "quack"
And fish go "blub"
And the seal goes "ow ow ow"

He couldn't help himself. He had to embellish. He added a line: "And the horse goes neigh!" Before he got back to the remainder of the true lyrics, someone stepped. In. It was no shock that Dr Hfuhruhurr found a reason to turn up again. But no one would have expected him to break out into song:

"But there's one sound
That no one knows
What does the fox say?

"Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!
Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!
Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!"

What the fox say?

"Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!
Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!
Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!"

What the fox say?

"Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho!
Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho!
Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho!"

What the fox say?

"Joff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff!
Tchoff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff!
Joff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff!"

What the fox say?"

Kashikoi just turned and looked away from the scientist. Atsushi held his horse head under one shoulder as he made his way out of the laboratory. Akko asked "Has it been like this for you all day?" She saw the look on Sousuke/Kaname's face. No words were necessary. "You have my condolences." She resumed her talk. "In the past, the only way to free someone from a tsukimono was through an exorcist. Usually, those were the wandering Shugendo priests called Yamabushi. They roamed through the mountains, coming down when called to perform sacred services and spiritual battles. But, in the modern day, Witches can perform that function when necessary."

"But… how could it be possession?" Kaname asked. "It's not just me. Sousuke was involved, too."

"There is a breed of sorcerers known as kitsune-tsukai," Akko said. "They are different than my kind. They are said to have invisible kitsune at their command, and can send them to possess people at will. This could also be for any reason, from revenge to profit. A particularly devious type of extortionist kitsune-tsukai would send their kitsune to possess someone, then appear in the guise of an exorcist to drive the spirit out… for a fee, of course. I'm doing this for free."

"I really didn't-" Kaname started.

"You should be suspicious," Akko said. "We are living in a world where there are things stranger than the spirits. Black Technology is one of them. And we are living in a world where a foe can pretend to be a friend, and a someone charitable can be a charlatan. And, it is far too easy to make any enemy without even knowing it. And enemies have many means at their disposal to take the things they want, or punish the ones who get in their way." She paused. "Question everything you see and hear in this place."

"Yes… I have been…." Kaname said. She cut to the chase. "How can my brain in Sousuke's body be possession?"

"It could go like this. A double possession." Akko began. "You could be possessed by a spirit that suppressed your true memories, and placed Sousuke's memories over yours, like laying a rug over a wooden floor.."

"And someone would have to do the same to Sousuke," Kaname deduced. "Why would anyone do that?" Kaname asked. "Why to us?"

"It could be due to something you have done in the past," Akko replied. "It could be because of something you have to offer. It could be because you would make a useful catalyst. It could be many things."

"Catalyst?" Kaname didn't make the connection.

"If I was a fiction writer," Akko said. "I might write a tale about researchers wanting to get a project funded. They might have a wealthy backer, but that might not provide enough capital. So, they could conduct a scheme to bring in other donors, or to have experts in their field provided for free. To start things off, they could bring about something remarkable, and label it an 'accident'. They might already know where Whispers come from."

"That-" Kaname looked around the room, suddenly feeling doubtful and vulnerable..

"As far as I know," the Japanese Witch said. "It really only is the kind of thing you might see in a TV show or a movie. But, it doesn't hurt to keep an open eye and an open mind. Every cause has an effect. Every purchase has a price. And, when people offer you something free, there is often a catch." She turned around and whispered something to the fox. "We will begin the evaluation now, to see if an exorcism will be necessary."

Akko and Kashikoi performed their craft, and the verdict was a good one. There was no possession that they could find trace of. After Kaname thanked them profusely, the woman and her fox left for their next appointment.

When Anne waved her hand again, it was time for Kaname to meet another practitioner. Making her way over to where Miss Uumellmahaye stood waiting, she passed by a larger mob than before. The group had quit calling out 'Tessa,' but were still trying to find out what her Whispers could teach them, or if those random bursts of technologic knowledge would provide any clue to tackling the Big Experiment.

"Miss Testarossa," a man called out. "There are eleven key questions that Physics has yet to answer. First, do you have any clues to what dark matter is?" After that, ten different men asked ten follow-up questions. What is dark energy? How were the heavy elements from iron to uranium made? Do neutrinos have mass? Where do ultrahigh-energy particles come from? Is a new theory of light and matter needed to explain what happens at very high energies and temperatures? Are there new states of matter at ultrahigh temperatures and densities? Are protons unstable? What is gravity given quantum findings? Are there additional dimensions? How did the universe begin?

"And… Miss Testarossa…" The barrage continued. "How did we get here?" That was the ultimate cosmic question.

"How do I get out of here?" Tessa said. That was the ultimate call for help.

"I'm sorry Tessa," Kanamed said to herself. "But I'm glad that isn't me. Been there, done that."

She went on to meet an Onmyōji, a practitioner of Onmyōdō, another form of Japanese spiritualism. The kindly old gentleman was accomplished in magic and divination, and was employed by the Japanese government to protect the nation from evil spirits. He also claimed that he could summon and control shikigami and was able to control spirits with 'hitogata', human shaped paper dolls. He also explained that similar to the way that runes, Greek language, and the Orgham tongue was used by Wiccans, writing was thought by Onmyouji to have magical properties. Kanji and Chinese script could be empowered magical energy in order to bring about change. With a brush and ink, the elderly man created a number of Ofuda, rectangles of paper with holy or magical symbols and spells written on them. He used a number to create a protective ward, before performing an examination. He used more to dispel any evil influences that might be inhabiting Sousuke's body, and more yet to block any evil intent that might be aimed at Kanamed's mind.

She felt better when the kindly man said his farewells. But, that was soon replaced by another deep concern. If any of the day's activities had helped her mind and Sousuke's body, what about her body and Sousuke's mind? They were not here. They were at school. No. Calm down. That wasn't really the point of things. Spiritual issues could be taken care of in due time. There was no reason to be concerned about the color-changing ring in that regard. Everyone was doing their best to cover all of the bases.

It still seemed to her that science would hold the true answers, and would offer the only pertinent solution. But, there was no certainty there, either.

Everything felt like a shot in the dark.

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Info was taken from 'The "Clever Hans Phenomenon" revisited,' by Laasya Samhita and Hans J Gross.

Also, 'The 11 Greatest Unanswered Questions of Physics' by Eric Haseltine.

And numerous Google searches.