Data Entry 10: A Warper Called Wanda

As per the Warper girl's instructions, Ryan Marie and Peeps visited the medical facility where they performed self-checkups to make sure they weren't 'infected'. Fortunately, they were not though Ryan's bleeding hands had to be wrapped in bandages. But what surprised Ryan more was that the following day in Homeroom, Ava Quinn had several announcements to make.

"Due to a recent incident, the Human Protection Club will be disbanded for inappropriate behavior and disrespect towards our fellow Subnauticans," Ava began. "The school counselor Mesmera Fish will no longer be working at this school after she displayed unusual aggression and attempted to kill several students. Principal Empra would also like to remind students that Mountain Island is off-limits for the time being, though we cannot disclose the reason at this time until the situation there is dealt with. On a lighter note, we have a new transfer student who will be joining us as a fellow school monitor besides Rea Levi."

From the door entered the Warper girl, who was still wearing the same purple robe only her spikes were replaced by blue human hands and she was still barefooted.

"She is a member of the Warper species that protect the Sea Emperors and Precursor research facilities," Ava explained. "Thus, please give her a warm welcome."

"Greetings, fellow subjects," the Warper girl said as she bowed slightly. "I am Warper 2311441."

"Or Wanda Warper, for short, since the numbers correlate to those letters," Ava added. "Why don't you take the seat that was occupied by Stalk Barracuda for now, until we can get a proper seating arranged?"

"Very well," the Warper girl dubbed Wanda responded and went to the Stalk's desk which was behind Ryan's.

After Homeroom was over, Ryan was approached by Rabb Ray.

"Hey, Fish Lover," Rabb joked. "It's 'Friday,' and you know what that means?"

"Um, what?" Ryan drew a blank.

"We agreed to go to the shopping center on Floating Island to get more clothes for you once the weekend started, remember?" Rabb reminded. "I'm sure you're tired of wearing my duds for an entire week, even if the automatic cleaners keep them fresh."

"Oh, yeah," Ryan admitted. "Between getting attacked by a Stalker, human bullies, and almost killed by a Mesmer therapist, that was the last thing on my mind."

"No problem," replied Rabb. "And sorry for calling you a 'fish lover'. It's apparently become a popular nickname for you among the human students."

"I can't imagine why," Ryan sighed.

"Well, if you're going to Floating Island, can we come too?" Alice butted in, while Peeps nervously stood beside her.

"Mind if I join, fellow subjects?" Wanda Warper interjected.

"Is there a particular reason?" Rabb asked.

Wanda stared at Ryan. "Apart from monitoring the school, Empra Levi gave me private instructions to keep an eye on Subject Ryan in case he decides to wander to Mountain Island against her orders."

"Do I have a say in this?" Ryan said.

"No," Wanda said bluntly.

"If that's the case, maybe we can get clothes for you too, Wanda," Alice offered. "Unless you plan to walk around barefoot in that robe for the rest of the semester."

"My personal appearance is irrelevant to my functions," Wanda argued. "But if Subject Ryan is leaving campus, then I have no choice but to accompany him and thus shall indulge in your search of colorful cloth that is used for wearing purposes."

"Then I'm going as well," Rea stated, startling everyone including Peeps who gasped. "While Empra may have refused to answer my questions regarding this 'infection,' I figure you know the same answers she does. Plus, I want to prove that I'm better at keeping an eye on obvious troublemakers like Ryan and Rabb because I was school monitor first!"

"If you recall, Subject Rea, the agreement was to have you patrol the outside of the Aurora while I was put in charge of the interior," Wanda responded calmly. "Therefore, the individual students are my responsibility."

"No, the students are my responsibility as well," Rea argued. "After all, I was the one who saved Ryan from Stalk and San who were attacking him outside the school."

###

So once classes were done for the day, Ryan was accompanied by Rabb Alice Peeps Wanda and Rea as they boarded the next Reefback that swam by the Kelp Forest. Unlike the wild ones Ryan saw before, this one had a dome made of glass and metal on its top which kept the water and barnacles out with rows of metal seats inside it. Marie happened to be boarding the same Reefback as well, and decided to follow Ryan's group.

"To be honest, I'm hoping to get answers out of the Warper girl," Marie said to Ryan as Floating Island drew closer with the Reefback swimming along the ocean's surface.

"What a coincidence, human, because I want the same thing," Rea declared. "Now since I made my intentions clear to the Warper first, I get to ask her."

"Not necessarily," Marie claimed. "Since we were both present when she took care of Mesmera, we're entitled to the same answers."

Gritting her sharp teeth, Rea responded. "Okay, then I propose a wager: whoever swims around the circumference of Floating Island the fastest gets to ask the Warper whatever questions she wants while the loser has to swim all the way back to Subnautica High without a Reefback."

"Fine, but I am one of the best human swimmers in the school," Marie warned.

"But no human can out-swim a Subnautican, and that's a fact!"

"Actually—

While Rea and Marie went into a long debate about which Subnauticans were the fastest swimmers, Ryan glanced at Wanda who seemed to be watching them intensely with her four magenta-colored eyes. Alice and Peeps, on the other hand, seemed to be talking amongst themselves as Rabb seemed to be looking astray so Ryan approached him.

"Getting tired of being at the center of attention?" Rabb said sarcastically.

"I wouldn't put it like that, but yeah," Ryan admitted. "So while I'm here, I might as well tell you what the Caste System is and how it's similar to Subnautica's Food Chain."

To be continued…