CHAPTER 4

FIELD OF VIEW

OCTOBER 27, 2146 NWE

[COLONIAL FOREST]

Anne and Artiny continue their journey through the colonial forest, the morning sun casting a warm glow on their surroundings. Anne munches on a baked potato as they walk, her curiosity getting the best of her.

ANNE: (with a mouthful) Hey, Artiny... do you dream too?

Artiny, trotting alongside Anne, replies casually.

ARTINY: You mean "sleep journey"? If that's what you're asking, then yes, I do.

ANNE: Sleep journey? Why do you call it that?

ARTINY: It's because when I'm asleep, I can meet my ancestors. I can play with them, go on adventures with them... It's like a journey I take while sleeping.

ANNE: (freaked out) Whoa, that's creepy, Artiny! Do you like playing with the dead?

ARTINY: 😑😑 Anne, you're weird. Not the dead, but more like spirits. Like... my mom's spirit.

Anne's expression softens, realizing her mistake.

ANNE: Oh... I'm sorry.

Artiny tilts her head, curious about Anne's experience.

ARTINY: Why did you ask? Did your soul go on a journey while you were asleep last night?

ANNE: Um... I'm not sure. But someone was definitely talking to me last night.

ARTINY: It could be your spiritual ancestors. Foxes believe that some of us are destined to be guided by our ancestors. They could be leading you on a path that is also meant for you, especially now that you've decided to embark on a real journey.

ANNE: Hmmm... That's an interesting take. Perhaps there's more to this journey than I initially thought.

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20 minutes later…

Anne decides to check the map, a projection visible on her watch. Anne then glances at Artiny with a mix of excitement and doubt on her face.

ANNE: Ehhh? (In doubt) Ummm... Artiny?

Artiny looks back at Anne, waiting for her to continue.

ANNE: (seemingly surprised) It looks like we only need three more miles to reach the town. (She chuckles nervously) That's just a casual 50 to 60 minutes of walking.

ARTINY: (sighing) If you had checked your map last night, we could have pushed ourselves and reached the town instead of spending the night in the woods.

Anne's expression turns sheepish, realizing her missed opportunity.

ANNE: Yup, I know. I'm still learning how to use all these gadgets they've given me as a handler. It can be overwhelming at times.

ARTINY: Can't blame you, though… I don’t grow up in the wild anymore so everything to me is kind of new too.

Anne suddenly runs ahead, leaving Artiny momentarily behind. However, she quickly turns back with a bright, energetic pose.

ANNE: But you know what? (Grinning) It's a good time to capture my next aniture!

ARTINY: Great idea, Anne. You'll need all the protection you can get on this journey.

Anne takes out her compact device, Anita, and activates it.

ANNE: Let's see who we can find nearby. Anita, scan for nearby animals.

The compact device emits a soft hum as it scans the surroundings. After a few moments, a holographic display appears, showing various creatures.

ARTINY: Ooh, look at those options, Anne. Which one catches your eye?

Anne studies the holographic display, her eyes lighting up with determination.

ANNE: I think a strong and agile aniture would be perfect.

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Anne and Artiny are now hiding behind a pine tree, carefully observing their target from a safe distance. 

ANNE: (whispers) Do you see what I see, Artiny? 

ARTINY: (nods) Yeah. Seems like he's having a good time over there.

There, a small white weasel is devouring a large white arctic hare, oblivious to Anne and Artiny's presence.

ANNE: (whispers again) It's a white weasel. It's still busy, so it's not our chance for a surprise attack.

Anne then looks at Artiny for confirmation.

ANNE: But... Do you still know how to hunt, Artiny?

Artiny, filled with confidence, shakes her body and gets into a pouncing stance.

ARTINY: It's in our blood.

Artiny crouches slowly, her paws crunching in the snow, making minimal noise to avoid alerting the white weasel. While Anne, on the other hand, remains hidden behind the pine tree, waiting for Artiny's hunt to begin.

ANNE: (in her thoughts) [ Good luck, Artiny. May the rulers guide us in their favor…]

Anne's heart races, and she nervously fidgets with her thumb, wearing black gloves.

ANNE: [This is my first time doing this.]

Anne grips an Anirang from her waist, holding it tightly. Meanwhile, Artiny stops behind a fallen log, hiding and awaiting Anne's command.

ARTINY: In position... (Artiny whispers, but Anne can still hear her due to the Anivice, a handler's visor she is wearing.)

ANNE: I'm ready whenever you are, Artiny.

ARTINY: Okay.

Silence fills the air as Anne anticipates what is about to happen, while Artiny waits for the right time to attack.
Suddenly, Artiny's ears twitch as she hears the wings flap from a nearby bird perching on a branch. Without hesitation, Artiny swiftly begins her run!

ANNE: (closely watching her Arctic fox from afar) Here goes Artiny's snow dive... (whispers)

Artiny, after running a distance, leaps into the air, attacking the busy weasel from behind. The weasel manages to look back, but Artiny lunges down and bites the weasel on its lower back near its tail. The weasel screeches in pain, struggling to free itself from Artiny's grip. With a last high-pitched cry, the weasel turns its head back, managing to bite Artiny's snout in retaliation.

Artiny jolts in pain, whimpering and not expecting the counterattack. She tries to maintain her hold on the weasel but flinches, releasing her tight grip on her bite. As a result, the weasel falls back onto the snowy ground, now painted red with its blood and the nearby carcass of the hare. To release her tension, Artiny vigorously shakes her whole body with her eyes closed.

However, as she opens her eyes again, the weasel is nowhere to be found. Her prey has escaped her hunt.

ARTINY: 😨😨!! (Freaked out) Gone?!

Meanwhile, Anne starts running and races toward Artiny.

ANNE: (worried) Artiny! Are you okay?!

ARTINY: (glancing back at her, now in a bad mood) Just stay here, Anne. I will follow that beast!

ANNE: (worried) B-but you're wounded, Artiny.

[ I've never seen Artiny so pissed off like that. Did I push her too much? Maybe it hurts her ego as a natural hunter that her prey managed to escape her hunt. ]

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Anne just watches as Artiny walks away from her.

ANNE: Are you able to track it again, Artiny?

ARTINY: Yeah, the weasel left traces of blood along its way. (Answering even though she's out of Anne's sight)

ANNE: (clicks a button on the earpiece of her Anivice) I'm entering your FOV* now…

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FOV (Field of View) is the surrounding that is currently observable through their aniture's own eyes.

A handler needs to learn how to understand and utilize their aniture's eyesight.

This also builds trust between them, as handlers give up their own vision and rely on their partners instead, merging their minds and bodies into one.

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ANIVICE: System Field of View Activated.

(The UI on Anne's visor opens up, displaying the current vision from Artiny's perspective.)

ANNE: (startled) Oh my gosh! Artiny, slow down!

(Anne watches as Artiny is running at a rapid pace.)

ANNE: You're going too fast! It's too fast for my eyes to keep up!

ARTINY: (replies) He's losing a lot of blood, Anne. I need to track him and reach him ASAP before it's too late.

After a few minutes of running and following the trails of blood in the snow, Artiny spots the weasel resting in an open snowy field, busy licking its wounds.

ARTINY: (whispers) Anne, I found him. He's hiding behind this boulder.

ANNE: (under a pine tree, watching Artiny and assessing the situation using her anivice) You can't walk straight through the bushes in front of you, or the weasel will hear you. Try to find another way around and sneak up behind it. Aim for the neck, Artiny. You can pin him down there.

ARTINY: You got it.

Artiny, once again, composes herself to begin her second hunt. She carefully runs around the boulder, choosing a path without any bushes. However, Anne didn't anticipate Artiny's hastiness.

ANNE: Good lord, Artiny! That's not sneaking at all! 😱😱 (Freaked out)

ARTINY: (grinning mischievously) I am listening, Anne. 😆

ANNE: Ahh! You're not! You're literally a sly fox! 😫

While the white weasel is still in pain and busy licking its wounds, rendering it oblivious to its surroundings, Artiny seizes the opportunity to approach her prey. With a powerful leap, she lunges behind the weasel, slamming it down and firmly gripping its neck, pinning it to the ground.

ARTINY: Anne! HURRY!!

Anne: (watching through her Anivice) I'm coming, Artiny!

Anne swiftly clicks a button on her visor's earpiece, deactivating her Anivice FOV, and leaves the safety of the pine tree. She races through the thick snow, heading towards Artiny's location.

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At the location...

ANNE: *pant* *pant* (catching her breath) I'm here.

Anne presses the button on the Anirang she's holding. The gadget instantly transforms into a boomerang, shifting its shape. Anne closes her eyes and focuses, feeling the gentle breeze around them.

ANNE: (in her thoughts) [Perfect. The wind is calm now. Throwing my Anirang will be effortless.]

Anne opens her eyes, her concentration unwavering. She shouts to Artiny.

ANNE: Artiny! NOW!!

Responding to Anne's command, Artiny lifts the weasel from her mouth and tosses it into the air. At that precise moment, Anne calculates the trajectory for her throw, her aim set. She grips the boomerang firmly and releases it with a smooth and precise throwing technique, rather than relying solely on strength.

The boomerang soars through the sky, rotating around the weasel in midair. With a radiant glow, it creates a spherical prison of beams, engulfing the creature and transforming it into particles of light. The light is then absorbed by the boomerang, which swiftly changes its course, returning toward Anne.

Anne watches the boomerang closely as it approaches her, and with both hands outstretched, she performs a "sandwich catch", expertly capturing the boomerang at the perfect moment.

She places the device over her right palm and waits as it transforms back into its disk form.

ANNE: Yay!! (Raises her hand triumphantly) It's my second Aniture! (She excitedly shouts to Artiny)

Artiny returns and sits down in the snow in front of her.

ARTINY: Did you really capture it?

ANNE: (smiling and nodding) Yup! It's a success when the Anirang reverts back to its disk form. Sis said that if the animal you wanted to catch isn't sucked in and turned into light by the boomerang, then it's considered a failed attempt.

ARTINY: (tilting her head) Hmm... weird.

Her Anita at her belt vibrates, catching her attention.

ANNE: Oh! It must be a notification. (Anne grabs her Anita) Let's see.

Anne opens it and starts reading the notification.

ANNE: Hmmm... (finishes reading) Artiny, it says that we didn't just catch a common weasel. It's called an ermine or stoat, and it's a male.

Hmmm... (thinks) 🤔 What should I call him then?

ARTINY: Please! 😖 Make it somewhat decent! (Her voice clearly shows her disapproval of her own name given by Anne)

ANNE: Then I'll call him Ermie!! 😝 (sticks out her tongue playfully)

ARTINY: Oh, mother of gods. NO! 😫 You really suck at naming, Anne.

Anne chuckles and ignores Artiny's comment, quickly changing the subject.

ANNE: So, how's your wound? (She shows her concern for Artiny)

ARTINY: I'm totally fine, Anne. That ermine has more injuries than I do.

ANNE: (nods) But still... both of you need to be healed immediately. Let's head straight to the town right now. (She starts walking)

ARTINY: Okay. (She follows her)

The two of them are now back on track, making their way toward the town.

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Chapter 4: Field of View

~**EnD**~