Riko looked at a few of the log entries Hiro had accumulated from that strange server. "I think I found something a little weird about that ping," said the tigress digital fairy.
"Besides the fact that it took zero seconds?" Asked the cyborg.
"It must have been a glitch," she said shrugging. "Or maybe its some special wireless you don't know about. Its possible you are creating new technology- transformations might even be bringing new tech." the fairy thought.
"I guess." Hiro thought unconvinced. "So what else did you find?"
"Well, When you initiated the ping, you got a ping to yourself too. You just didn't see it because the packet came back as soon as you sent it."
"Weird," Hiro thought. "So the server was probably just 'inside' me?" That might make some sense. The strange glitch of zero seconds for one. Maybe it was a ghost of his subconscious? Not a real server?
"Yes...and no. I can't work out where it was." The digital fairy sighed. "I'll keep trying to trace it. But every time I think I'm getting somewhere I just end up going back to your central processor."
"If it came from within me, that would explain how it got past my defences," mused the cyborg. Obviously his software was designed to fight external programs, not internal ones.
"I'm not sure. This doesn't feel like a hack to me. That's why it didn't work... I'll keep trying to figure it out."
Hiro nodded.
Adam gradually woke up. It was her turn to do the evening shift in the shop, and this often meant a late rise in the afternoon. She didn't mind it so much, but sometimes it could be difficult to adapt to the times. She used to like getting up with the sun, and then when the sun changed she changed to night shift... but now she was back on the day shift- no wait afternoon-
"Urgh," the harpy stretched her wings, her tail feathers fanning themselves by instinct. She slept naked, finding that the easiest thing to do. She had always slept rather restlessly, probably because of the caffeine she drank before.
The harpy girl slipped on her bathrobe- a task that took at least five minutes still. It wasn't easy to get it through her feathered arms, much less manipulate the cloth if it wasn't hanging properly. It was nice that her mother checked those little things were available to her. She couldn't quite place any belt though, so kept it closed around her with her wing. Her tail feathers proudly pressed against the cotton fabric, exposing her lower back. It wasn't perfect for modesty but it was okay under the circumstances.
She glanced over to the spare room, noting her mother sleeping.
The harpy girl sighed as she went to the kitchen, automatically trying to open a cabinet- only to have her wing smack hard against an un-graspable knob. She bit her lip, looking at her feathered arm a moment. Her talons could reach things that were about waist high, maybe a little higher if she really pushed it... but it was just not the same as having hands. She flushed with embarrassment at the memory of her mother showering her. She had been helping her out a lot, and that help was needed.
She managed to open a box of cereal and decided to forget about trying to pour any milk in it. She just ripped the bag in her talons, and placed a wingful on the table. "Cornflakes," she mused smiling as she ate it. For some reason it just tasted so good to her. Better then it ever did before. it was easy enough to eat, the sugar sticking to her tongue. Pushing a chair towards the sink, she managed to use her talons to turn on the faucet and drank from the tap- though gasped as the cold metal surface made contact with her breasts. That- was not a sensation she could get used to, she felt.
She glanced at the clock noting she still had a few hours. Adam smiled as she saw her mother had already prepared a lunch for her, in an easy to carry bag. How in the world did she know to plan for these things? Having her mother back has certainly made a lot of things easier. In fact the harpy was probably eating too much! She glanced down at her belly which did seem just a little... larger? "mothers cooking," She sighed to herself. So hard to resist.
"Hello honey," called a voice in the door way.
"Oh- Mom- did I wake you?" she asked
"No, I just wanted to make sure you are okay. Did you try any of the clothes I gave you?"
"Well.. about the bras..." She bit her lip a bit. "I just don't know..."
Mrs Avery looked to her son turned daughter with some consideration. "You're not that big I guess, but it can't be very comfortable. Are you sure you don't want to at least try it?"
"Well... okay mom," she said in the end. Though she didn't think it was that bad... maybe Harpys were made different in that regard? She had no basis for comparison though. "Maybe we could just try."
Mrs Avery smiled. "It should be more comfortable trust me. If not it is your body... do as you like."
"My body," the harpy girl said glancing down at herself.
Robert smiled happily. This was... certainly strange for the devil-woman, but having the bell restored to her church had brought a measure of peace to her troubled soul. The bell was originally broken by her hand.. and it was now repaired. She had even made a few friends in the process. Truth be told she had some trouble understand Cass, as they were people of a completely different generation and mind to her, but their hearts were certainly in the right place.
A little anxiously she pulled the rope, to see if it would make the sound....
The bell tolled, just as it had before. She couldn't even tell it had been broken at all. That surly was impossible right? How could something be restored to perfection... The devil woman adjusted her robes slightly, as she walked towards the main hall. Every click of her heavy hooves echoing in the empty church. Services will resume eventually, now that construction of the new Bell tower was complete. There was just a little more paper work to fill out. The authorities insisted that a fire-system be installed to prevent this from ever happening again.
The red skinned, crimson haired, priestess sighed as she knelt before the alter, the act a lot harder with her strange legs- even more so as her knee brushed her lowest breasts. "Thank you for sending me aid, Lord... I feel... my soul lifted. I have sinned terribly in this life but..." she paused at that. There was no buts... not this time. "I have sinned... I will continue to make amends."
She rose once more. If truth were told, she was quite envious of Cass and Lucas. A small- a very small part of her still felt... punished though. Unworthy... in some way. Fallen... but... whatever God had in store for her, she will endure. She had to believe there was a purpose to all this, and it has not been without benefit. She saw deep inside herself the monster she was becoming. The intolerance she was breeding... all for... for what?
She went into the courtyard, and saw Father Maxwell the tree, patiently looking outward as ever. The devil woman often wondered what went through the pastors mind since he couldn't do anything other then just stand there.
"Greetings sister," Said the Tree. "Are... you... well?"
"The bell has been restored," she said with a smile.
"Yet you are... unsettled?" Maxwell asked concerned.
The devil woman glanced around and nodded. "Lucas, concerns me. She carries a weapon that can not be taken from her."
"Ah... of course." The tree spoke sagely. "Such things are written of in the past... are they not?"
Robert sighed. She knew the stories... of course she did. "On both good and evil... yes. Cass is just a young child to me. I do not wish to see them fight the wars of God, or even man" the devil glanced upwards, wondering with that same concern again. She didn't know who granted those teenagers such abilities, but everything had its price. "Yet I sense she would not hesitate to fight. She acts as if she was immortal."
"All the.. young do, sister," spoke Maxwell sadly. "Tell me.. what of you? Yuu will... be a priestess now?"
"To be honest Brother Maxwell, I'm not sure," admitted the devil woman. "All my life I had questions... I never got satisfactory answers. Even if I found one of these beings that claimed to be 'a' god... I would not be satisfied. Even if 'The' God spoke to me... I would be suspicious. The only response... to my questions has been given this body." It was the only time she felt the touch of something great.. and inexplicable.
"You ... suspect... you are trying to be told something?" Asked Maxwell. "By your transformation?"
"Maybe... perhaps... I... what if... I am supposed to experience something that I couldn't before?"
If a tree could smile, Maxwell was indeed smiling.
"I- I don't mean-" Robert flushed embarrassed, she could already feel her tail swaying just a little excitedly at the sub conscious thought. The pleasure of a woman... and God why did her nipples have to be so sensitive against cloth?
"I understand Sister," said Maxwell. "Your form has lead you to meeting many people... to Lucas, Cass, Pitchford... You have even helped others ... "
"But I can not help myself... my questions... just... why..." she sighed once more. that was the question wasn't it? She just wanted to yell at the universe, WHY! Why was everything the way it was? Why did it have to change? What was the point of it all... or is there.. no point at all to life...
Maxwell gazed calmly. "My Sister... Someday, you will find the answer. Go... experience... life. In your new.. form. As priestess... or the woman I believe you to be."
