48 We Meet Again

When Mina opened her eyes, she was in another dark space. There was a lingering chill in her body but it was tolerable. Unlike earlier, she couldn't make out any figure as there was total darkness. However, her body felt lighter. She could move freely although she couldn't see a thing. Unable to do anything, she tried to feel her way through the darkness.

Mina sat down cautiously. When she saw nothing blocking her path she raised one hand above her. As she was lowering her hands, she felt something solid right then in front of her.

'A wall. But this... it feels like I was transported in another location.'

Mina trailed her hands on the wall, slowly rising up to feel how long it extended. While stuck in a squatting position, she felt nothing but air. Her hands continued to feel through the area until she touched a cold and flat surface

'This feels familiar.'

While swiping through the entire area, Mina pushed something down and almost instantly, the entire area lit up.

'I've been here before!' Mina couldn't help but exclaim. 'This is the Egg Pod.'

The last time Mina dreamed about this place, there was a magical view. To confirm her suspicions, she leaned forward with excitement. But before she could enjoy it, she banged her head on the glass. Clutching her head, she crouched down on the floor and slipped out of consciousness.

When Mina opened her eyes, she saw a pair of eyes. The eyes were the color of midnight and they belonged to a fury, red-orange creature whose hands were on either side of her body.

Mina shot the animal a questioning look while recalling a vague memory.

'This creature seems familiar.'

Before Mina could figure out why the animal felt like someone she knew, the orangutan broke the silence.

"We meet again! I bet you got smacked on the head for a second time!" the monkey chattered with confidence before reassuring her, "Don't worry, that is a regular thing inside these Egg Pods."

The monkey scanned her body calmly to check if she was alright but there was a change in the animal's expression when the creature saw her foot. Alarmed, the animal bolted away on its hind legs while using its furry hands for support. As the animal walked towards the direction of a cleaning cart, a flash of recognition appeared in Mina's eyes.

'It's the cleaning monkey!'

While Mina assumed a sitting position, she saw the orangutan flip the cleaning cart. As if by magic, the mop, pail, and rags were replaced with an emergency medical kit complete with an oxygen tank. Mina shut her eyes momentarily, wondering if she was in a dream but when she heard a rummaging sound, she had to open her eyes again. What she saw was the same monkey searching for something inside one of the pockets of the kit. After taking out a green pouch, the orangutan walked back towards her.

Now closer, the orangutan handed her the bag, which looked similar to a blood bag but with green liquid inside. As if remembering something, the monkey offered a wide straw, the same one used to serve bubble tea, with another hand. The monkey looked at Mina and nodded as if to tell her to take it. Mina simply stared back while thinking that it was a ridiculous situation.

'If a monkey handed you a drink, would you take it?'

Before Mina could do anything, the monkey punched a hole on the bag with the straw and handed it over to her.

"You need this."

'Did this monkey just treat me like an invalid?'

Before she could think of a wise comeback, the animal gave her another instruction.

"This works better than an emergency heat patch."

Mina couldn't help but look at the monkey in front of her who was still extending the suspicious drink. She felt more confused than ever.

"You're lucky! If you didn't do first aid thawing, you could be trapped in that place."

'Heat patch...first aid thawing...trapped...'

Taking one of her hands, the monkey wrapped it around the drink. The pouch surprisingly felt warm and Mina took it quickly and wrapped another hand around it. While indulging in the heat from the bag, she could hear a light chuckle.

"You'd feel better if you take a sip."

The monkey stayed beside her and did an Asian squat like it was its natural sitting position.

"Soul transport is faster but it depletes your energy. It can induce fraying. Take it easy next time, especially in this junction."

While Mina listened, she sipped the liquid subconsciously because she didn't know how to respond to the monkey's statement. She needed some time to wrap her head around all the information she learned.

With her first sip, Mina felt as if a liquid fire entered her throat and she coughed. Some of the liquid spurted out of her nose.

"Oh!" the monkey slapped its forehead with a hand. "You should swirl the straw around first or else... that happens"

The monkey eyed her and mumbled something. It sounded as if he was mocking her for being clueless. Based on the way the monkey's nose went up and down while giving her a sideways glance, it seems like she was right.

Mina took the time to examine the orangutan as she calmed herself down. Her sight was eventually drawn to a badge hanging on the animal's neck like a medal. There were four letters on the badge KINO and the monkey's image appeared below. It looked similar to an ID.

"KINO?" Mina asked tentatively as if to confirm something. The monkey looked at her and then at the badge.

"Yep, that's me, Keeper of Internal Nodes. I do the cleanup and maintenance around here but I'm allowed to do emergency first aid."

"What does the O stand for?" Mina asked while stirring the liquid with the straw. She could sense the gooey consistency of the mysterious liquid.

"That stands for my class."

Mina looked at the creature in front of her and tried to guess.

"Outstanding?"

Well, you can say that but technically it represents my kind.

"Orangutan?"

The monkey nodded and Mina concentrated on her drink and sipped slowly. This time, she felt a warm sensation flow into her body, warding off the chills. It was similar to the feeling she had when the blue-eyed stranger pressed his hand on the glass.

Mina couldn't help but wonder about that person's identity. She could only recall his blue eyes, everything else was blurry in her memory. While thinking about eyes, Mina remembered the black eyes that greeted her earlier and her gaze landed on the orangutan who was about to head back to his cleaning cart. Unsure of how to address the animal, Mina blurted the first thing she thought of.

"Kino!"

The monkey turned around after hearing Mina call out.

'I guess, I can call this orangutan Kino. It seems offensive to shout Monkey!'

It took Mina a few seconds to form coherent thoughts. She had been to this place three times, it couldn't be just a dream. Raising the bag, she couldn't help but ask, "How did you know I needed this?"