Operation

Natah is waiting for them when Harry, Kitty, and Hermione all disembark from the Railjack at the beginning of the winter holiday, Minerva will be returning tomorrow as she has an end of term meeting to attend first, granted tomorrow is almost 3 months from now but still.

"Hey Mum, we've got trunks full of animals for you, I thought we got breeding pairs when we first did our shopping."

Natah nods, "We did, which are fine for study, but we want to set up stable populations."

"I see, so you want the increased genetic diversity. What brought that on?"

"We have a Leyline developing on Lua, and we want to see if that's because of something we've done or it happens naturally. So we're going to establish locations with magical plants and creatures to see if leylines develop naturally or not."

Kitty fair bounces on her toes, "How's the testing with Oro's going?"

Hermione laughs, and heads off to do her own thing before they remember she's supposed to be acclimatising to other frames. Natah on the other hand sighs, "Yes, we've finished our initial research, and we think that it's safe enough for the two of you."

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A few hours later, The Lotus looks at Harry and Kitty seriously, "Are you sure you want to try this?"

Kitty nods emphatically, "I am."

Harry shrugs, "I'm still game. There's profit to be made, to borrow a Corpus phrase."

Lotus looks over at Pandora, who shakes her head slightly, "Very well," – she takes of her helmet moving to a less formal posture – "These two transfer pods have been specially designed to prevent you from using physical transference, only the pod driven transference. If something goes wrong, we do not want to have to try and transfer you out of your Warframe to fix the problem. Additionally, the lids have been modified to be cut out with a surgical interface for Pandora and I to use. When we've done this with Kurbow, we've had them sedated, however we need immediate feedback from the both of you, so instead you'll be in your Warframes. I want you both to pick a Warframe with an instant cast non-sustained first ability."

Kitty smiles, "That's easy, I'll just use my Nezha. Just make sure there's something I can throw my disk at."

Harry laughs, "Kitty, that's not the first ability."

"It's not? Wait? Damn it, I never use the fire walk. Ok, I'll fish out Excalibur."

Harry has to think hard about her available Warframes, finally settling on Invra, as her noise arrow is just shot from her bow and stops when it hits something.

"Now that you've got your Warframes selected, the next week is going to be very boring, as we need to calibrate the amount of void energy reserves they allow precisely. So that you have just enough excess energy to use your abilities twice before the reserve is empty."

A few days in, Kitty complains, "Why do we need to do this again?"

Pandora sighs, "We're trying to detect if there are any ill effects on you or Harry after the operation. We've not detected any shifts in personality with the animals we tested this on, but humans are not animals. And you've got abilities over and above the normal human. We're not just calibrating our void condensers for each of you, we're also taking scans of your bodies and brains, as well as including personality test questions. Anyway, two uses, again."

Kitty stalls after only one use, "That's not enough energy, even though my overlay says I have enough."

"That's because the overlay doesn't work as precisely as we are, let me just add the decimal points to your overlay and you'll see what I mean."

"It's now reading at 49.491530."

"Try it again."

"Uh, ok? Hey it worked! And it says I have 0.000323 left."

"My instruments give a slightly different reading from that. The issue we have is that while we can measure to 6 decimal places, the accuracy of your Warframes is within 0.0005 units. Our equipment is down to 0.0001 units, and we're trying to improve the accuracy of our devices to at least 5 decimal places. Here, I'll have your Warframe recalculate it's reserves a few times."

"0.000052, 0.001037, 0.000873. Why do you need so much accuracy anyway?"

"We want to know if there are any measurable differences between before and after. So far, you're both very consistent in your own frames. But if we don't know how much energy we're feeding you, we can't tell if a change is because of us or because of you. We're also going to have you both swap Warframes and activate the same abilities to ensure that once it's calibrated for you, we can get a good calibration for the other frame."

"Um, why?"

"We already know there are differences in the way that the two of you channel energy. So we need to know if that difference is distinct to you or to manufacturing tolerances in your Warframes."

"Oh, I see, so you're trying to get to a point where your equipment measurements fluctuate less than the Warframes do, so that you can tell if a change that's happening is because of who's piloting it or not."

"Precisely."

"Why didn't you just say that?"

"I did, repeatedly, when we started."

"Sorry."

"Don't be, you're not a researcher, so no matter how smart you are, we can't expect you to understand the subtleties of what we're doing immediately. Natah and I have both had years to study this, you and Harry have been at this for a few days."

"Why is this so hard to measure anyway?"

Pandora sits back in her frame to think for a moment, "While void energy was well studied during the few thousand years before the old war, Natah's people were sent to Tau using a void jump drive after all. Most of that research was focused on how to use it for travel, and how to protect against it. It wasn't until the Sentients returned that they started looking at using it for an energy source. First in weapons, and then in equipment. Before that, it was just a fringe science that a few Archimedieans pursued using microportals and the like. The Zariman was supposed to be a Military experiment on the long-term effects of void exposure, until the experiment turned deadly real, as the translation to the void without the void shielding in place caused catastrophic damage to the drive systems. It's still there, in the void, waiting."

"Why bring up that ship?"

"Because it's an example of what the Orokin were willing to do to speed up their research into the void. They had to basically redesign their entire technical base because Sentients were far too able to just take over their previous technical base. The fact that your Warframes, and the necromechs before them, used void energy is what enabled you to be so effective against Sentient targets. Even then, it wasn't until Margulis' death and the decision to turn you all into weapons that the tide of the war changed for the Orokin the first time."

"Yeah, yeah, I know all that." Kitty grumps, "Can we get on with the testing rather than dwell on horrible history?"

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After a week of calibration, they managed to get the lab equipment down to 4 and ½ decimal places tolerance. Harry and Kitty both swapped Warframes for a few days after that. An experience that they both agreed was highly uncomfortable. However, it did highlight that their energy usage differed very slightly, and it was able to be measured accurately enough to satisfy Natah and Pandora.

Also out of the whole thing, they found that Harry's energy usage waxed and waned. This seemed to correlate with where their gender was at any point. Kitty's on the other hand, stayed solid the entire time. They made a note to check next time she was menstruating to see if that made any difference.

Finally, it was time for the surgery, and Harry and Kitty are both staring down at their unconscious bodies.

Kitty shakes her head, "I don't think this will ever not be weird."

Harry nods, "I know what you mean. I think that's why our pod suits were designed with sensory deprivation in mind. Can you imagine what it would have been like if you came across your own body sleeping in the pod?"

Kitty shudders.

"Ok you two," – Natah comes over with Pandora trailing behind her, both of them naked and in their full frames – "We need you to get back behind the line, everything inside is going to be sterilised when we activate the surgical field."

The two of them walk back to the area with the training spectres, before turning back to watch. A shimmering green light flashes in a dome indicating the danger of the field, it then settles to amber and finally violet, to indicate it's active and safe to approach.

Inside the field, Pandora says, "Activating life support systems, enabling spinal block. Their brains are now isolated. Natah, proceed when ready."

"Activating 4th dimensional isolation field. Rotating skin, muscles, ribs, front lungs. How's Kitty looking?"

"Vitals are looking good, Kitty how do you feel."

"Queasy watching this, but apart from that, I'm fine. It's nothing I haven't seen before, only it's my body."

"Understandable."

Natah turns around to Harry's pod and repeats the process, "How's Harry doing?"

"Vitals are good. Harry, how do you feel."

"It's just weird watching this."

Pandora nods, before turning her attention back to the monitors, "Activating phase stabilisers, their Oro's should now be visible."

"I can confirm. Removing Kitty's now."

Kitty shivers violently, "Void, I feel cold."

Natah puts it back, and Kitty's shivering subsides, "Do you want me to stop here?"

"No, no. I...'ll be ok."

"Very well. Removing Kitty's Oro now. Removing Harry's Oro." – Harry shivers violently but says nothing – "Placing Kitty's Oro. Placing Harry's Oro."

Harry can't help letting out a moan, as the warmth he/she feels is amazing, like the best hug ever. Kitty joins them as well. And Natah removes the Oro she'd just placed in Kitty's chest. Immediately they both growl and start shivering.

Kitty says, "Put that back right now, it felt so nice."

Natah and Pandora share a glance and Gigabits of information before Natah puts it back in.

With the Oro's in place, but all the fields still active, Natah walks to a console on the edge of the sterilisation field and activates it. "Harry, you first. I want you to make two shots with your noise arrow. When you receive another energy charge, I want you to repeat the process."

She monitors as the system goes through the pre-programmed tests, with a random 25% of the energy charges being only a single charges worth, but the overlay adjusted to show the expected charge. As expected, Harry fires all 40 shots with no difficulties."

"Thank you, there is a minor shift in your energy usage, just above our error bars, so we'll want to keep an eye on that. Kitty, you're up."

Kitty starts to go through her own tests, though hers takes longer as she can't just stand by the dispenser. It's all going swimmingly when, 5 iterations in, she hits the first single charge. Zipping through the spectres, she cuts them down and turns as the second group walk into position, and activates her ability again. As she does, she feels a tearing sensation in her chest and staggers through the manoeuvre, still accelerated but in agony. At the end her Warframe collapses, and all of the fields wink out. Including the ones keeping the Oro visible. Curling up in her pod, she clutches her hands to her chest and screams. Void it hurt, it hurt so badly.

Harry vaults out of her own pod and rushes over to Kitty. As soon as she touches her in concern, Kitty's pain reduces to almost manageable levels.

"Stars and void, this hurts."

Natah spins around as she accelerates her thought processes to try to deal with this situation. Pandora accelerating to match her. In seconds they've got the fields activating again and are gently pushing Kitty back into the pod. When they activate the life support, it's fine, as soon as they activate the spinal block everything shorts out again, and Natah is thrown violently backwards. Drawing her wand, Pandora casts Stupefy and knocks Kitty out with magic.

Once she's unconscious, Harry goes to remove her hand and Pandora shouts, "Don't you dare remove that hand. Natah, I'm starting a scan for Kitty's Oro. Scan has come back negative. I'm going to check her over with magic, if it turns out to be a magical problem, we'll need to bring in a Qualified Healer."

Hed flies in and lands on Natah's frame, and Natah shakes her head, "How do they do that?"

"I have no idea, and it's got worse since they learnt how to void travel."

Harry watches cautiously as Pandora does a few basic diagnostic spells, only to find that Kitty has virtually no magical reserves, which is vastly more than she should have. With a sigh, she conjures some parchment and ink, "Minerva hasn't left yet has she?"

"If she has, then she's still in transit. It will still be quicker for them to turn around than for us to send her back."

Pandora quickly pens a note to Minerva requesting that she asks a fully qualified healer to make a house call, and outlines the symptoms.

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Minerva is just packing her bags for the morning when Hed appears in her room and holds out a leg with a letter grasped in her foot. Giving her a scritch, Minerva takes the letter, reads it, reads it again, and then swears, heads to her Floo and calls out "St Mungo's"