Freya's Gift

Chapter 11: Patrol Duty

I grab my wallet and keys on the way to the garage. Sitting in the patrol car, the seats are very form fitting, like a race car seat shape only for me. Another sign that FREYA has change reality to put me in this life. It's still early and I take time to get familiar with the car's layout.

All the normal gauges a high performance vehicle would be expected to have are present, with some additions. Looking in the center console I found a manual provided by the Department of Parks and Recreations. The manual explained the extra gauges were for monitoring battery performance, as the car a hybrid. The book detailed the performance characteristics of both the electric and propane powered motors. The electric was essentially a higher output version of the Tesla sportscar. The fuel powered motor was a turbo 'Short Star' converted to use propane instead of gas. Which is good for improved mileage. The manual also explain how to bypass all electric motor use by pushing a code into the nav computer for fuel motor operation only.

I turn the key and the nav system boots almost immediatley and prompts for a passcode to continue. Checking the manual, it states the default code is *STAR911*. After entering the code it then prompts to change to personal passcode enter name and badge number. I enter my name and number and it asks, enter the new passcode, I enter Katie's birthday. Then re-enter to confirm.

After that I'm greeted with main menu and select options, then press 'by pass' electric motor start. With that a button illuminates on the dash, 'Press to Start'. As I press the button I'm rewarded with the hearty sound of a typical turbo V6 dune buggy motor. Blipping the throttle I can feel how there is no turbo lag. Then I re-enabled the electric motor operation and the engine shuts off. I pull out of the garage and close the door.

At the little bridge I turn on the nav system to patrol route for monday. I start by heading to Mom and Pops to get a bite for breakfast. When I got there I got a friendly hello from Mom. She said Pops was still sleeping. They lived in back of the shops, the house detached with a short 50yd walk. I was going to get a microwave sandwich, but Mom insisted on making me an egg, sausage and cheese sandwich on the grill.

I accepted and we chatted while she quickly made the sandwich. I learned that some locals had been in earlier and had been talking about strange noises in the night and some property damage and decided to follow up on it. I paid for my sandwich and tea, thanking Mom for both breakfast and the info.

When I got to the address the property damage is obvious as I pull in. The owners came out and we spoke, Mr and Mrs Smithe met me at their barn. Mr Smithe saying, "That was fast, I just got off the phone with Park HQ and they told me it might be a while before someone could be here."

"Mr Smithe, I'm Ranger Lawrence, but please call me Freya. I came by because Mom told me she'd heard from one of your neighbors about your damage and I thought I'd look into it, I haven't received the call yet."

Mr Smithe showed me into the barn, as Mrs Smithe went back to the house. As he pointed out all the damage it was obviously caused by something more than park animals gone to town. There were holes at each end of the barn the size of a hippo with tracks leading into and then out, the bloody remains of the couple's milk cow. Mr Smithe stating that a grizzly had probably wandered down out of the deep woods. A closer look at the prints showed a distinct difference with those of a bear of any size. These tracks look reptilian, similar to those of a komodo dragon, but larger.

I called into the office and asked for Cappie. When he answered I explained how I had heard from Mom at breakfast about the incident and decided to check on it. We discussed my findings and said he was on his way. When he got here he said he had put in an enquiry about any missing exotic animals in the area but all were accounted for. After looking at the tracks he agreed they looked reptilian to him too. And by the size and spacing it had to bigger than any grizzly he'd ever seen.

We took photos of the scene and case notes just like in the NCIS shows. Cappie asked why I was on patrol early and I told him I was just getting familiar with my route and My ideas to eliminate the holes in coverage. He said, "Good thinking Freya, I like that attitude, just don't forget to call in your shift start."

I say, "I'll do that now sir."

"Not necessary, I had them mark you on duty 30min from before you called in the damage." I thanked him and went back to patrol. As I was making my rounds I had the idea that I might know what made those tracks but I couldn't be sure yet since it was impossible if it were true.

The rest of the day was uneventfull with a few other reports similar to the Smithe's case. I'd have to check out my idea that evening when I got home. The rest of the day went quickly making my rounds and meeting the locals on my patrol and introducing myself when I could. Always good to put a face on so the public knows your in the area keeping a look out. I asked all I talked to, to call me if they hear of other strange things like what happened at the Smithe's.

When I got home I decided to soak in the tub to think. After locking my gun up I settled in to relax before making dinner. As I soaked the idea from early in the day came back to me about where I'd seen those tracks before. The more I thought about it, the more sure I was that those tracks were the product of creature from the Tera game, somehow in the real world. Or an elaborate hoax perpetrated by some bored teenagers. Only tomorrow would tell.

Before I got out of the tub I thought I had better shave my legs, as I had been a woman for over a week and hadn't yet done it. I check and my legs were smoothe to the touch like I had already shaved them. I figure it must be the elf genetics at work and thanked the goddess again. I did decide to trim the pubic patch a little, even though the hairs were fine and sparse, just a light fuzz. But I trimmed the shape to something neater than au naturel. I got out and dried off putting in fresh 'pearls', I dressed for bed then made dinner. I decided to eat at the computer desk in the office and do some research while I ate.

I started the game and entered, standing on a post in Highwatch next to the Trade Broker. I went first to the broker and cashed in the sales that happened while I was off-line. Almost $2k in sales. The checked the daily lists for Vanguard Initiative quests, I don't immediately see the one I'm looking for, a gathering quest for minerals called 'Lime Time'. I do the one listed picking up engine pieces first and the the one I wanted came up. I went to the lake area to collect lime deposits and found what I was looking for. As I suspected the tracks were made by a Kamara, although the ones at Smithe barn were at least three times larger than the ones before me now.

These Kamara are not that hard to kill, only taking a couple shots. But with the one in the real world being three times bigger, it would be the size of a stegosaurus. Still, I'd be able to get rid of them once I found them. Conventional weapons might work, but at the cost of untold damage to the enviroment. And that was one of the things FREYA had put me here to prevent. And now that I thought about it, maybe she knew that somehow Tera monsters would leak into the real world. With that resolved, I clean up the kitchen and then brushed my teeth before going to bed.

As I fell asleep, a familiar sensation comes over me. The next thing I know, I'm standing in front of FREYA. I asked, "Dear goddess, pray why am I summoned before you? As glad as that makes my heart."

She says "First lets wait for Katie to join us before I explain what's happening." She then asks, "How have you been adapting to your life as a woman my child? Are you having any problems?" I tell her that I loved being a woman and thanked her again for all the gifts she had bestowed on me. She said, "Know that as much as you are the child of your real parents Valgerður and Lawrence, so also are you my child. I must take care of my own." We shared an embrace, hugging tightly and I felt the warmth she radiated, then she kissed me on the forehead. It was then that Katie appeared to us. FREYA says, "Now that you are here Katie I can explain things to you both."

End of Capter 11