The Spider Queen

Chapter 413: A Hopeful Future

(Alpha Star System- Planet Gaia)

(Peterlor Estate- Holosuite 13)

“Welcome Miss Sophie! I trust that you have been well since our last appointment,” Doctor Reynolds spoke politely.

Sophie stepped inside the holosuite and saw what looked like a comfortable study room that had a roaring fireplace in the corner.

Rows upon rows of books lay on the bookshelves that lined the walls and a large oil painting was hung just above the fireplace.

The atmosphere was warm and cozy with dim lighting that made her feel almost at home. 

Sophie gripped the chip in her palm nervously and approached the doctor who was standing behind a wooden desk.

She was now quite familiar with the pre-session routine since this was her fourth session with the psychologist who would lose his memories after every session.

It was a bit of a weird experience at first but Sophie was pretty used to it by now. She handed the chip over to Doctor Reynolds who nodded politely.

The doctor pressed a button on the top of his robotic head and soon a flap opened that revealed a space with two entry ports.

He pressed the chip into the open slit and slide the device inside until a loud clicking noise could be heard.

Doctor Reynolds closed his eyes as data entered his mind from the previous sessions with the hybrid girl.

This entire process only took around one minute to complete and the doctor soon opened his milky white eyes.

“So how have you been? Are there any issues or problems that you would like to discuss before our session begins?” Doctor Reynolds asked softly.

“Not really… I mean Cleo is coming to visit next week so I am kind of looking forward to that… but I am still feeling a bit anxious,” Sophie replied hesitantly.

“Have you still not messaged anyone? I understand that your father revealed that you were now safely at home to the general public,” Doctor Reynolds questioned in a peaceful tone.

Sophie spoke firmly while doing her best not to show her hands that were trembling slightly in her pockets,

“I think there is no need to hurry and reach out because he told the press that I am in a private hospital recovering so it should be fine not to rush things.” 

“I see….” Doctor Reynolds hummed softly and took out his notebook to write down a few observations.

Sophie saw a chair in the corner of the study room and grabbed it in order to have a place to sit down.

It was not obvious at first glance but the longer that Sophie stayed in the holosuite, the more she realised that the simulated environment was clearly inspired by her father’s private work room.

The only sounds in the room were the noises that Doctor Reynolds’s pencil made as he stroked the surface of his notebook.

“I believe that I have now identified the main issues that we will be working together to help you solve or at the very least manage over the next few months,” Doctor Reynolds finally spoke.

“Truthfully, I am quite optimistic about you. There is a clear desire to work with me and get through this together.”

“I always tell my patients that I can only help those who want to be helped. All the advice and techniques in the universe are useless if my patient refuses to recover or lives in denial.”

“Can I hear the list of issues?” Sophie asked curiously. 

Over the last few sessions, Sophie had definitely tried her best to be as open and honest with the doctor as possible.

She had told him about her feelings, panic attacks and most of her experiences in the Unovan Syndicate.

Sophie had even mentioned some of her deepest secrets such as Sui Meng’s memories, being the vessel of the Hunter Goddess and her insectoid heritage.

It was unfortunate that Doctor Reynolds’s face was hidden behind a grey mask so it was impossible to tell what his reaction was at that time.

But somehow it made it easier to speak since Sophie could treat the doctor almost like a wall or an inanimate object.

It helped that the doctor’s bio mechanical nature meant that all of her secrets were safely extracted and kept in the chip so Sophie had no concern about them being leaked.

Doctor Reynolds paused for a moment and tore off a certain page from his notebook. 

A beam of green light was emitted from the center of his milky white eyes that scanned the entire length of the page.

This green light scanned the contents multiple times and then finally a different light was emitted from his pupils.

This light was a dark red colour and soon the entire page was disintegrated into a pile of ashes which the doctor placed in his storage ring.

Sophie tilted her head in confusion at the doctor’s strange actions but received no explanation for the sudden display of force.

Doctor Reynolds placed his skeletal -like palm on the surface of the desk and then turned to address Sophie with a serious tone,

“It is clear that you seem to be suffering from mild symptoms commonly associated with post traumatic stress disorder.

What is complicating the matter is your insectoid nature which appears to be enhanced by your connection to this ‘Hunter Goddess’ deity.

From what I can gather, your warrior or perhaps the better word is ‘combat state’ amplifies aggressive tendencies while your mating state amplifies lust or feelings of attraction. 

This mating state seems to be targeted at Miss. Cleo Sisrelis who is your current partner.

Fortunately, your third state appears at least for now to have no negative side effects.

I do not believe that the best course of treatment is for you to suppress these emotions but rather to learn how to channel them correctly.

How can you use these powers without letting these emotions consume you? I have worked on similar cases in the past so I believe that it can be done.

In addition, I would like to work on the smaller issues as well such as relearning socialisation skills and helping you to overcome your fear of reaching out to your friends and acquaintances.

I must confess that I am also quite curious about the memories implanted inside your mind from this ‘Sui Meng’ character…”

Sophie listened carefully as the doctor laid out a months long treatment plan that included learning about different mediation techniques, resetting techniques and mock simulations.

He even mentioned seeking out the help of her father during the training sessions when she would have to use the goddess’ powers.

Sophie felt a bit overwhelmed by all this information but the calm and reassurance in the doctor’s voice gave her a cautious feeling of optimism for the future.

Maybe it was okay to be hopeful…