A spirit's sphere - chapter XLII

With a loud whooshing noise, the thick door slid open and revealed a large lab-room. In the middle of it, there was a table formed in a half circle. Behind it a crazy looking humanoid Yokai was sitting there wearing a white lab coat. He had only one big blueish eye with a yellow iris. Several thin black hair strands stuck aside from his head and his purple-bluish skin looked roughly patched up.
A tall IV-drip stood next to this Yokai being connected with his beating heart on his chest. A teeth-revealing grin appeared on his mouth and with open arms he greeted his visitors.

„Welcome back my minion and hello you new ones. Welcome to my humble realm. My name is Dr. Maddiman. And with whom do I have the pleasure?“
All four Yokais stared at this scientist without a single word, while the Leadoni snickered around from the background.

Iory fully tensed up and growled lowly, while shielding the precious sphere from any possible danger.
The others also didn´t made any sign of feeling comfortable too.

With slight pity in his eyes, the Doctor spoke: „Ahh…don´t be afraid of my appearance. I often tend to act like my…older self.“ Putting away the hold scalpels, he offered his other hand to them and continued: „Honestly I already got informed about some visitors by my old pal Nenju-san. So I assume, that you are the mentioned ones?“

Yuki asked: „You know this Alloo?“ She was receiving a smile from him: „Yes I do. So is this proof enough for you all here?“

Karakuri already used the time and examined the various gadgets and instruments. He looked back as the Robogappa heard the last words from the conversation and smiled: „I´m convinced so far. Seeing all these nifty things…my robotic instincts tells me, that we´re quite at the right address for our problem.“

He walked towards the scientist and introduced himself: „My name is Karakuri and I don´t know how much priest Nenju already told you but…“ he carefully revealed the tresured blueprints and went on: „…we all need someone, who can help us with providing a workshop. So far Iory here managed to translate the roughly written texts of these blueprints from the human language to ours.“ He has shown his own manuscripts with the translated text and personal notes.

„But the drawn mechanism sadly often surpasses even my own knowledge.“ Karakuri lowered his head in shame. Iory shyly nodded while still guarding the sphere. She didn´t trust the peace now. But maybe her spiritual flame was overreacting due the last´s events. The Dragon Lord and the others hadn´t much rest for a while.

With a curious look, Dr. Maddiman studied the drawn sketches. Carefully, he turned around the single pages and loose sheets. With a shimmering eye, he looked up to his guests. „Where did you get them? Nenju-san hadn´t told me much about your problem. But mainly about some serious scientific research help. But according to the date written here…the documents must be already roughly 200 years old. Not much for our realm, but considering that it all was made by a mere human?“

„He wasn´t a just mere human, he was Takumi Monzaemon, the creator of Roido-sama!“ Iory hissed feeling greatly insulted in place of her master.

Dr. Maddyman flipped to the last page and saw the final draft of the android. He looked up again and asked: „So THIS is the Kabukiroid´s true origin? I...I always thought, he´s from the same origin like a Robonyan or you lil´Robogappa. How is he? Haven´t seen one of his performances via the screen-vision for ages.“ Dr. Maddiman shortly waved to the large monitor hanging on the wall. Flipping back to some previous pages, the Yokai asked again with a slightly shifty face: „Aaare~ you´re interested in creating another one? That would be highly possible with all these notes and blueprints.“ He snickered lowly in hope to get a hand on this promisingly upcoming experiment.

With quite a pale face Yuki replied: „No Dr. Maddiman, we´re not interested in obtaining a mere replacement. In fact…“ she looked down, not knowing if she shall entrust this still shady looking Yokai their true problem.
With a questioning frown the scientist looked into the round: „Don´t tell me you just want to repair his current mechanical vessel? What´s wrong with him?“

Again the four Yokais looked at each other and Yuki nodded towards the Robogappa, making a non verbal sign, that he shall explain the situation. „Well, as you´ve noticed here, unlike other Yokais, Roido-sama´s body behaves much different than the normal kind. Mostly resembling to ours…“ Karakuri pointed to himself referring to other mechanical species. „…yet his interior structure is much more ancient. Okay, considering to that past timeline it was MORE than advanced for the human technologies back then of course.“

He nervously shuffled with his foot and went on: „I took up the honor for the maintenance of the Kabukiroid. It went well during the past decades and I got adapted to the mechanism´s style more and more, but…“ with a sad look he said: „...a big misfortune occurred to us and especially to him, so we really need your help for his restoration.“

„Is he closely around you? Can I visit and talk with Roido for further details? Although this sounds troublesome, I´m highly interested in having direct contact with the subject of our research.“
Dr. Maddiman spoke with eager shining in his huge eye.

But Yuki shook her head and couldn´t hold back her thoughts any longer as she replied: „I´m deeply afraid…but Roido-sama isn´t with us anymore at the moment, he…“

The Blizzaria got interrupted by the Doctor, who rubbed his chin: „What do you mean with „He isn´t with us anymore at the moment?“ He was aware that a Yokai being in a bad shape won´t simply travel around. „So shall this mean, that the Kabukiroid actually perished, but didn´t faded away at the same time? How and what kind of state is this? This truly screams for a new scientific discovery!“
Dr. Maddiman rubbed his patched hands together that curious he was, wanting to know more details.

Then his gaze fell onto Iory holding the glowing sphere. Slightly distracted by it´s vaguely pulsing aura, Dr. Maddiman asked:  „A pretty orb you have here honorable Dragon Lord. But how does it have such a different colour? May I have a closer look?“

Iory hissed narrowing her eyes, but Karakuri calmed her down: „It´s okay, he´s just for our help. No need to stay that protective anymore. I feel that we´re safe for now. Despite this secretively-shady placed lab, it has the huge advantage, that Tatsu won´t find us that easily here.

The guarding Dragon Lord eased up a bit and said: „Okay, you can take a look, but please do not touch it.“ The Doctor gently smiled and respected his visitor´s wish as he approached the sphere. Tilting his head, he mustered the glittering surface.

A nervous look from Karakuri towards Yuki he whispered: „Shouldn´t we get Roido-sama´s body here sooner or later? I mean, even if we all get behind the whole blueprint-manuscripts, we still need all different kinds of supplies and materials.“ The Robokappa briefly looked around and continued: „Judging from this lab here, it´s quite a decent source for us…“

Yuki narrowed her eyes and slightly nodded: „You got a serious point here but…“ a wary look being sent towards Dr. Maddiman she spoke: „…how can we assure that this restoring-process won´t lead to a sick experiment? I have a bad feeling, that this guy is actually aiming for this twisted purpose.“

She sighted and talked to the leading scientist: „There would be a possibility to see Roido-sama, Dr. Maddiman. We can get the mechanical body right here. But only under ONE condition. Do not even think about abusing Roido-sama as a guinea pig, like the humans are saying in such kind of situation.“

„Fantastic~! But well, without sliight~ tryouts…“ the Yokai narrowly hold his thumb and index finger together: „… I may not be able to find out the proper functions of your big friend.“

Yuki hovered towards Iory and said: „I guess it´s also useful if you´ll tell him about the sphere. Dr. Maddiman could need any possible hints and knowledge we currently obtained.“

„You think so, Yuki?“ the Dragon Lord doubtfully asked, but faced the Docter and spoke:
„Um, I have to explain you how my orb got this colour, but back to your previous question, how a currently perished Yokai still can stay within this realm. In truth, it´s…it´s actually Roido-sama´s spirit´s sphere, the vessel of his spiritual flame. I guess this kind of an exchangeable Yokai-existence source only works with mechanical types. And it´s actually my former dragon orb after his first one got destroyed. That´s why I haven´t a second orb being carried in my claw…“

With caution, she slightly distanced herself from the curious Doctor in fear he may change his mind after hearing this odd circumstance.

But instead of this, Dr. Maddiman nodded: „Impressive...what for an odd scenario. So I assume that a broken sphere can be replaced with a similar vessel? Quite like a heart´s transplantion of a living being!“ He gently stroked his own chest.

Than the scientific Yokai moved to the table and pressed a button on its large keyboard. A hidden door slid away from the wall and a sleeping Mirapo was revealed. „Tell me, where the Kabukiroid is, so we can get him right here through the portal“ the Doctor said as he gently woke up the mirror Yokai.

„Bleeergh, long time no see the light here. I haven´t been used for suuch~ a long time.“ The sleepy Mirapo grumbled.

„It would be quite contradicting to constantly travel or have transports through this system, considering that this facility is more a secret base than a lab…“ Kurokage mumbled at last, after he tried to stay out of all the business here so far.

Yuki approached the Mirapo and gently smiled. „Good morning Mirapo. We would like to have a transport-connection with the temple of priest Nenju the Alloo. You know this place of your counterpart?“
The Mirapo activated it´s portal and nodded: „Of course. This shouldn´t be the slightest problem.“
As she told, the image cleared up and the outside area of the temple was seen. It was also dark there and the four Yokais feared, that everybody already slept in the temple.

But a familiar shape approached within the visual field and Yuki gently knocked on the flat surface: „Priest Nenju? Can you hear me?“

The shape turned around and the Alloo hovered towards the Mirapo-counterpart.
„Good evening, I see that you all managed to get to the hidden place? How fortunate, how fortunate.“ He happily smiled.

„By Enma´s name, I´m really glad you had a last prayer´s round outside. Yes, we´re all at that odd lab and Dr. Maddiman is also here.“ Yuki continued as from behind a joyful „Hello old pal!“ was heard.
The Doctor looked  into the mirror image too, and waved to the Allo. „Why you hadn´t told me that I got such a huge scientific surprise? Is the said Kabukiroid with you? If so, we would like to have him sent right here.“ He quickly babbled.

The Allo´s eyebrows rose and asked: „Did you already fully decoded the blueprints?“

„Nah, not yet and it also wouldn´t have the slightist use, if I won´t get a hand on the actual reserach-subject!“ Dr. Maddiman said with euphoria.

Nenju shook his head and warned his friend: „Don´t treat Roido-sama like that. You promised me to do not fall back to your old habits, haven´t you?“

A bit embarrassed, the Yokai fiddled with his fingers and said: „Yes that´s true and I can´t thank you enough for restoring my reputation.“

Nenju nodded and said: „Please wait a bit. I´ll tell the others to bring Roido-sama here.“

During the time, Iory asked: „But why this entire facilitiy here is still that much hidden, Dr. Maddiman, if you´re supposed to have a ‚restored reputation‘ thanks to priest Nenju-san?“

„Yes, it´s just a remaining streak of mine, which I´m allowed to keep. I prefer to stay out of the public. But whoever need a helping hand, I´m at your service.“ He genuinely bowed and smiled.

Still not shure how to deal with this odd Yokai, Iory had no other options left, rather than to finally entrust Nenju´s strange trust about him.

Now some members of the theatre-staff appeared alongside with the old priest. A large wrapped package was carried towards the portal´s counterpart. „Careful careful!“ some of them warned, as they directed the way with waving fans.

Nenju observed with his wise eyes and finally said: „Now he shall arrive at your side. With this, we won´t see us anymore soon. I wish you all the biggest luck, which a Yokai can have.“ The group at the temple waved in a cheerful way, before the image vanished.