Kaleb ground his teeth together as he was pushed into the person in front of him. He shoved back slightly, only to bounce off another person. They grunted at the impact but remained civil. What else were they going to do? The hallway was damn near packed. Mages in robes, techs in lab coats, Players in all manner of armor. Everyone was running around on the 'highly secure' fourth floor.

The soldiers were doing a fine job of keeping the more rambunctious idiots in line, though. Anyone who caused too much of a problem was summarily knocked out and dragged away. Kaleb wagered that many of them were Players. He had seen it happen a few times already. Some idiot with more bravery than sense would try to push his way into a guarded room. Next thing they knew, they were shocked senseless while the whole hallway froze as if stuck in time. He had tried to move during one of those times. But it was pointless. Jar and Vivienne claimed it was a time stop spell.

"We need to pick a room." Kaleb grunted as he was shoved forward again.

"That's not how it works, remember?" Jar-lock said as people tried to push against him.

The mage was like a giant wall of muscle that repulsed the nearby NPCs and Players. When people shoved him, he merely glared down at them and they backed off. Of course, the reason for that glare was standing just ahead of the mage, shielded by his bulk.

"We have to wait until we have Resonance with a doorway?" Vivienne reminded.

"Is that magical? How come they are futzing up my science with their damn magic? Besides, who cares about resonance?! I just need a damn terminal!"

"You really don't listen when people are talking to you, do you?"

"What was that, Jar? I missed it."

"Pain in the ass."

Vivienne rolled her eyes at them as they steadily made their way down the hall. "Professor, the soldiers told us that the alien animals will 'Resonate' with us if we are compatible. The lights above the doors will shine a different color to people who share a resonance with what's beyond."

Kaleb thought back to their short stint with the guards at the entrance to the floor. Really, all he could remember was sheet after sheet of paper being forced under his nose. All the while some smug-looking grunt tried to explain a much of nonsense to him. Kaleb had mostly been focused on the damn computer terminal in the corner of their little office. He had even played with the idea of asking the damn guard to give him a few seconds on the damn thing and he could get out of everyone's hair.

"They might have mentioned it." Kaleb allowed as he pushed forward slightly.

"So your ears just stop working sometimes, huh?" Jar-lock asked.

"Not sometimes. Only when some jack-booted thug starts yapping."

"Give a soldier a break for doing his job."

Kaleb grunted again. "Given our current situation? I don't think I will, Jar."

"Jesus, you two. Just find a damn door!" Vivienne yelled over Jar-lock's response.

Kaleb snorted, but did as asked. She was right. The only way through this mess was to find their resonance… or whatever. Kaleb scanned around, but the full hallway made finding anything a mess. Thankfully, some aliens were shorter than others, and soon Kaleb found what Vivienne was talking about. Above each door was a circular light. Most of the ones Kaleb could see seemed to glow red as he looked at them. But when he looked away, the light dulled. He didn't know what color meant Resonance, but it was a start.

The three of them stood their ground as a sea of people passed them. Once someone realized they couldn't move Jar-lock, they hurried around. Kaleb counted six doors on this section of the hallway, none of which lit up for him. A quick glance at his companions showed they were in the same boat. With a growl of annoyance, he started further down the hall. It was another brutal thirty feet and six more doors before Kaleb finally spotted a flash of blue. He didn't know if that was the color, but shouted in excitement when he saw it.

"YES!"

"Got one?" Jar-lock asked.

"What color is it?" was Vivienne's question.

Kaleb shouted over his shoulder as he pushed his way through the crowd. "Blue!"

"Oh, that's a good one…" Vivienne's voice trailed off as Kaleb got further away.

The tumult of the crowd drowned out almost everything as Kaleb kept his eyes on the door. It was a struggle, and he had to throw his metal arm around a bit. But he made it just fine and then turned to wait for the others. Jar-lock cut through the crowd like a knife, only pausing when someone bigger or heavier walked by. When they did, the two giants would nod at one another and continue on their way. Kaleb rolled his eyes at the spectacle it was creating before he turned back to his door. Two guards were standing out front with a well-hidden device hidden in the wall. Kaleb could just make out the seams where the thing would flip out from the wall and probably cause all kinds of mayhem. Assuming it was a weapon of some kind.

Kaleb was practically shoved out of the mass of moving people into the doorway. One of the guards reached out to help steady him, and Kaleb gave a nod of thanks.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"Nice catch." Kaleb quipped as he looked up at the blue light still shining down on him.

"Color?" the guard who caught him asked.

"Blue." Kaleb said simply, wondering if this was part of the procedure.

Apparently it was, because both guards shared a look before nodding and standing aside. Kaleb took a step forward just as Jar-lock and Vivienne joined him. The guards stared at them and then back at Kaleb. He smiled awkwardly as he gestured to his two friends.

"They are with me?"

"Fine. Just don't touch or interact with anything while your friend tests his Resonance. Although with a blue light, it shouldn't be that exciting."

Kaleb raised an eyebrow at that, but shook it off as he hurried through the door. Vivienne and Jar-lock were right behind him, and the three of them marched into a spacious lab. Kaleb sucked in a breath almost immediately. The small of the lab was different from his own, but it was still a familiar space. People in lab coats ran all around conducting research and sharing ideas. The only hiccup was the various creatures wandering around the floors and ceiling. The door slid shut behind them, cutting off the sound of the hallway and replacing it with the noise of the lab. Which was mostly the soft cawing and screeching of animals.

Kaleb raised his eyebrows at Vivienne as the Wizard smiled happily at all the animals in the room. Kaleb wanted to ask the obvious question. But he guessed this was just the way things were done here. And bringing up animals in cages around Vivienne seemed like a bad idea. Also, he had more important things to do, anyway. He spotted a terminal almost immediately and made a beeline for it, ignoring Jar-lock and Vivienne's awe at the room.

"Greetings, Sir! I see we have a Resonance! Please step this way."

Kaleb's arm was snatched, and he was spun away from the terminal excitedly. Looking at his captor, Kaleb blinked at what he saw. It looked like an octopus in a lab coat. Two of their arms were through the sleeves, but the rest of their limps acted as legs as it stood to its full height of about five feet. Kaleb was so confused at what he saw that he didn't struggle as the octopus dragged him toward a table. It wasn't until he was standing before an array of tiny creatures that Kaleb thought to talk.

"I just want-"

"Yes, yes. I know. This is all terribly exciting and you youngsters always seem so eager to get your hands on a new pet. But protocol dictates that we make sure that the checker is working properly. Just step up to the table, please."

Kaleb opened his mouth to refuse, but the octopus had shoved him with three tentacles. He folded over the table just as Jar-lock and Vivienne caught up with them. They had a front-row seat as Kaleb was mobbed by a table full of tiny alien animals. Some looked like normal terrestrial creatures, while others were odd shapes and sizes. Kaleb could even tell that one had long spindly arms. Because the damn thing was using them to feel about his face and head. Kaleb tried to back away as the creatures washed over him like a wave of fur and scales. But the things just held on as he picked himself up.

When he finally got straight and managed to get most of the creatures off him, with Vivienne's help, only one stayed latched on. It was a fat furry thing with blue fur and small black claws that it hung onto his metal arm with. The damn thing looked like it was in love as it rubbed its fury snout into Kaleb's robotic arm. Vivienne gave a soft awe as the lab tech was wiggling with some emotion Kaleb couldn't identify.

"Oh, this is a momentous day! Such a great day! Who knew that today would see our lovely little Fulgravit leaving the nest?"

"Now hold on a moment. I just wanted to use a damn terminal. I didn't come here to pick up a pet."

"But you have a blue Resonance and it seems to be quite high." The octopus said, sounding confused.

As the octopus lab tech spoke, Kaleb finally found that it was speaking through a small band on its neck. But unlike D34d-I, the electronic tone of the voice was gone. The octopus spoke as naturally as anyone Kaleb had ever met. His interest was peaked, and he wanted to ask several questions, but the literal weight on his arm brought him back around.

"I don't even know what that means!" Kaleb cried as he reached for the damn rodent on his arm.

When his fingers touched the fur of the creature, it finally seemed to notice him. A bright spark flashed over its fur and Kaleb felt an electric snap hit him. He snatched his hand back as the critter chittered at him. Not in anger, more in annoyance. Kaleb glared at the thing as the octopus chuckled good-naturedly.

"Oh, careful there. He seems a bit attached. But as to Blue Resonance, did the guards not explain?"

"I have poor listening skills." Kaleb sighed.

"I'll say."

"Jar!" Vivienne admonished.

The octopus' bulbous head flopped to the side and Kaleb heard a sigh escape its translator thing. "Well, for an overview, the color of the Resonance determines what kind of partnership you'll have with your tamed pet. Red is a battle partner, one that will run into the thick of it for you. Green is a medic partner, someone who will cure what ails you and keep you healthy."

Kaleb shoved his shoulder at the octopus in annoyance as he asked. "And blue?"

"Blue is more of an enhancement partner. Normally, they empower or strengthen one aspect of their chosen master."

Kaleb looked down at the large furry thing on his arm and waved a hand at it. The damn thing was humming happily as it clung to his arm. "Is that what the thing's doing? Enhancing me?"

"No, I believe it's sleeping. But your Resonance seems high. Fulgravits are notoriously hard to pair up with… though I suppose few people come through here with self-made cybernetics."

"What type of creature is it?" Vivienne asked excitedly.

The octopus seemed excited to talk about it, so Kaleb just listened as he kept his eye on his new passenger.

"Well, first off, it resembles the Earth-based Marmot in appearance. But it has several habits and instincts that make it stand out."

"Like the electricity?"

"Exactly. It's a defense mechanism from its home world. Same with its blue coloration and its sharp claws. But, fear not, the Fulgravit is not a predator by any means. In fact, is a herbivore that prefers to laze about most days. But something very strange happened when the creatures were introduced to technological advanced societies."

"How so?" Kaleb asked as he held his arm up to stare the giant rat-thing in the face.

The damn thing was still purring softly as it laid on his arm. Its eyes were closed, and its tiny black nose twitched as it seemed to sense his staring. It cracked an eye to stare back at Kaleb and the two shared a quick staring contest until the Fulgravit went back to its purring. Kaleb looked back to the Octopus for an answer and saw the three of them smiling at him.

"The little things love technology, but they are extremely picky about what they attach to. But once they do…"

The octopus trailed off as Kaleb felt an odd sensation on his robotic arm. The scientist was staring gleefully at the Fulgravit and Kaleb turned his head to see what she was grinning at. He was just in time to see the blue rodent melt into his robotic arm in a shimmer of blue sparks. Kaleb flinched as he felt a weight settle into his arm. But before he could freak out, a strange pulse flowed through his arm and suddenly he was full of energy. Kaleb flexed his metallic fingers as blue sparks snapped off his old arm.

"Holy shit." Kaleb whispered at the feeling of power.

But then it was gone, the lump of rodent in his arm flowed back up and the Fulgravit was back in place. Its claws attached to the divots and seams of his arm. This time, though, the creature snored, obviously asleep. Kaleb turned back to the excited-looking octopus and his friends.

"Oh, I'm keeping this."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.