Digital Inference 1

Chapter 1:  Arrival
<<<Lisa Wilbourn>>>

Lisa felt like she was floating, falling, sinking; her ears filled with the sound of rushing water. She thought it would be quieter, but there was a peace to this, too. Her head was swimming and darkness filled her surroundings, stars in constellations she’d never seen before filling her vision.

“Dying feels so weird…” She thought, mind feeling slow and sluggish. “I’m so sleepy…”

Dizzy, she felt herself turning; a great green plane greeted her. “Oh… pretty…” She thought, hand reaching out to it. “It looks so soft… why can’t I grab it?”

Maybe that was her punishment, always being so far away from something that looked so pretty? That sounded fittingly ironic…

… Why did she deserve to be punished again? She couldn’t remember anymore…

“So… sleepy…”

Darkness claimed the rest of her vision, and she knew no more.

----

Lisa felt there were two different kinds of news in her current state. Good news and bad news. Starting with the good news: she was alive. She knew she was alive because everything that could hurt did and her vision was filled with red light, the sign of a bright light against closed eyes rather than having lost her vision entirely.

The bad news was that everything hurt.

{Bruising, nothing broken. Nothing life-threatening. You are in a forest}

Well, that was odd. She could hear things shuffling in the wind, but a forest? Had she been pushed into Labyrinth's power?

The sound of rushing water, torrential rain. Leviathan had changed course. Leviathan was moving faster than ever recorded. Leviathan was holding back. Leviathan had always been holding back.

Leviathan was coming for them.

Leviathan was there before she could retreat with everyone else.

She’d fallen into a terminal even as the wave struck, something a tinker had brought? She didn’t remember when it was put there.

Soft fur and a wet nose pulled her back to reality, away from her memories. Had Bitch saved her and pulled her to a forest?

{Not a dog. Not a normal animal.}

… Well, that wasn’t concerning at all, was it? 

Well, as much as she’d prefer just to lay there she couldn’t, and reluctantly she opened her eyes and… 

She blinked, and blinked once more, “I am far from home…” As much as she loathed calling the Bay such a thing. “Or I’ve been kidnapped by a weird bio-tinker.”

The creature looked a bit like a fox, which felt like a jab at her, but was practically all fluff and was very, very round.

“Kidnapped!?” It, she?, asked in alarm, “I’ll help you get home!” Her mouth was in a perpetual smug grin, even while she was talking. “Where’s home? And what’s a bio-tinker?”

{Is fully genuine. Wants to help. Is very confused.}

“Uh… huh. I live, lived in Brockton Bay.” Lisa said, “And a bio-tinker is someone that can create artificial life. Usually through disturbing or horrifying means.”

“Ohhh,” She started, nodding in understanding. “I don’t know where Brockton Bay is!” Or not.

“Uh… United States of America? Protectorate? Endbringers? Any of these sound familiar?” Lisa asked as she eventually sat up, with the floof ball settling in her lap where she petted it without conscious thought.

It shivered in clear happiness at her touch before… her ears and tails drooped, like one of Bitch’s dogs would when scolded. “I don’t know what any of those mean…” She started, “But you can teach me what they are and then we can look for a way to get there!”

{Is joyous at the idea of working with you. Wants to help. Wants your friendship.}

Lisa just chuckled, though she did wonder why her head wasn’t about to split open from her powers. “Can do. So what’s your name and… well what are you?” Lisa asked, “You don’t look like anything I’ve seen before. Though you’re very cute.”

“I’m a Viximon!” She announced, “What are you?”

{Not on Earth Bet. Not a terrestrial animal. Does not have a personalized name.}

“I’m… Lisa, a human?” She said, getting ever more confused.

“Oh… What’s a human?” Viximon asked cutely. “Because you don’t look like a Hanumon!”

“What’s with this mon thing? What’s a Hanumon?” She decided not to question it, “Well… um.” Actually, how did she even explain what a human is? “Um, actually maybe you could tell me where I am? Cause last I knew I was in a big fight against a bigger monster.”

“You’re in the digital world!” She announced, “On File Island!” The Viximon paused for a moment. “And its inhabitants really hope it doesn’t self-destruct again! It would be the third time, but we have hope!”

… She had to get off this island as fast as possible.

“So! What’s the fastest way off this island? And why are you so friendly?” She asked, groaning as she sat up fully, her back and front complaining all the way, “It’s not because we’re both blonde, right?”

“I’m friendly because you look like you need a friend!” Viximon said, “And our similar color only had a little influence! As for getting off the island… ummmm… I’m not sure actually.”

“... Great,” Lisa sighed, forcing herself to stand up. “Ow. So… pick a direction and walk it is, then?”

“Pretty much,” Viximon said with a shrug, “I’ve mostly stayed in this area, but I was planning on exploring once I’ve grown! When I’m Renamon no one will pick on me then!”

“So… is that like… metamorphosis?” She asked after a moment. “And what is there to eat around here?”

“I have no idea what that is!” Viximon exclaimed, “Oh! I know where we can find some good berries and stuff! Follow me!” Then she jumped out of Lisa’s arms and began waddling her way into the forest.

Oh yeah, she was going to die but… well, it wasn’t like she had any other option but to follow the cute little thing. “Alright, sure?” She started, pushing leaves and branches out of her way. “So, um… what actually are you? A viximon sure, but what actually is a viximon?”

Still, it couldn't be any worse than dying to Leviathan.

“Oh, I’m actually a Digimon!” Viximon said, “I’m a digital monster!”

That got a nod of absolute non-understanding from her now. “I do not know what that means. Digital is something that just… data? It doesn’t have mass and… you do. So how are you a digital creature?”

“Everything here is digital!” Viximon replied, bouncing over a small hole as she went, “You are too! And the digivice in your pocket!”

Lisa came up short, “The what now?” As she reached into her pocket… and touched something that shouldn’t have been there, “Though I suppose the whole data thing explains why my head isn’t killing me…” She thought numbly,

It looked a bit like a pager, but instead of messages on it it showed… Viximon on it. Including a ‘friendship gauge,’ ‘health bar,’ and ‘magic point bar.’ Her first instinct was that Leet had built something but-

{Not tinkertech.}

“The digivice!” Viximon said, scooting under a low lying branch, “It marks you as a digidestined and me as your partner!”

“A little context if you don’t mind?” Lisa asked, “Digidestined? That… sounds important I think?

“Oh, it just means someone destined to end up in the Digital World and get a digimon partner!” She replied, “Like you and me! There’s some prophecy stuff about the end of the world or something too, but don’t worry! I’m sure we can stop that!”

“... Well, this is a lot preferable to dying to a monster…” Though the whole prophecy thing made her anxious.

She was a villain, she stole from people for a living! Now she was expected to save the world! Honestly, Taylor would’ve eaten it up, the damn try-hard that she was.

And of course thinking of the would-be spy also made her wonder how the girl would cope. Damn girl had a subconscious death wish after all! Maybe if she saved the fucking world she could go back…

“I can’t believe I’m even considering going back…” The Bay was a shithole and was originally going to be a pit stop until she had the money to continue traveling, but then Coil happened and suddenly she was babysitting a goddamn team of teenage villains.

A macho dumbass, a sociopathic dumbass, and a butch girl that was more dog than human!

And she hated that she wanted to see them again. “Dammit, why do I have to get sentimental?”

“Don’t worry!” Viximon had noticed her turbulent emotions, “With your help, I’m sure I’ll get really strong! Strong enough to digivolve, and then nothing will be able to stop us!”

{Digivolving is what lets them become Renamon. Strength based metamorphosis. Original language not english. Language being translated based on meaning. You are not speaking english.}

“... You’re not nearly this useful normally,” She thought as she smiled to Viximon, “If you say so, cutie,” She said with a chuckle.

“Of course I say so!” She said, sounding proud and painfully mischievous, “And thank you! You’re cute too, if weird looking!”

Lisa just smiled and booped the floof. “I think we’re going to get along just fine,” She said with her own fox-like grin.

“Yay!” Viximon said, sounding happy, “Oh, look! There are the berries I was talking about!”

Calling them berries was… accurate, but they were also the size of her entire head. Even a single one would be able to fill her up and leave enough for another three people.

They also looked like cherries.

“Those are some big berries,” She commented, “You must be bigger on the inside if you eat these for every meal,” She added, eyeing the Viximon with a playful teasing grin.

“I am not fat!” She complained, throwing a rock at the berry with her mouth to knock it down, “I only eat some of it!”

Lisa snickered, walking over to it and flicking open her knife, “Then let’s split this one?” She offered.

“Yeah!” Viximon exclaimed, “And you can tell me about his Brockton Bay place! Is it a nice place? Is there anything fun to do there??”

“No, and sometimes,” Lisa answered with a frown, “But I have friends there. Maybe I can bring them here sometime? I’m sure at least one of them would enjoy it.” Rachel would love a dog that she could talk with.

Brian would bitch about things, though if Aisha came with that’d probably shut him up. Honestly, he just tried way too damn hard, he needed to learn to relax and live a little.

And Taylor… she’d want to help save the world. And anyone else that had a problem, girl had a complex about that.

Not that she was any different, she was self-aware enough to admit that.

“I want to meet your friends too!” Viximon announced, pouncing on her half of their meal.

Lisa just smiled, “Wanna hear about them?” She asked as she cut off a bit of the berry and helped herself to it. Juicy and sweet, but not intolerably so. She never had much of a sweet tooth, but she could honestly say she liked it.

Though she hoped there were more than berries to eat around here.

{You are eating data. You are partially data.}

Yeah, she knew both of those already.

Viximon hopped around for a few moments, chewing on her berry, “Sure!” Then she paused, staring up into the leaves, “But, um, maybe we should run first…”

“... Typical,” Lisa mentally sighed, turning to look at a… very large insect. Because of course the moment the bug controller wasn’t there she got attacked by a giant bug monster.

“Taylor would be fascinated,” Lisa thought as she slowly moved away, “Hey there, big guy, heh… um are we intruding? Sorry we’ll be on our way…” She said.

It buzzed at them angrily.

“Um… I think we ate his lunch?” Viximon started, “Run?”

Lisa nodded jerkily, “Yeah, we run.”