《System Malfunction: Rise of the Apocalypse》 Prologue
Hoard Wave Complete
The notification screen popped up in front of Farrah¡¯s eyes, masking her view of the fields under the fortified keep walls. The sun must have risen, although nothing but the floating message told her so, as the horizon was obstructed by fog, and the fields around the keep were still thick with smoke from the pyres that¡¯d been set to illuminate the incoming waves of undead. ¡°Ah, finally,¡± one of the keepers signed in relief, somewhere to Farrah¡¯s left. His voice was soon followed by the sound of a clip being taken out of an SMG. Farrah snapped her fingers in his direction, her free hand firmly wrapped around the barrel grip of her Steyr AUG, before ordering: ¡°Focus.¡± ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s still like 20 of them down there,¡± A voice came from further down the barricade. It was followed by a few burst rounds, then another exclamation, ¡°At 2 o¡¯clock. Or like, 11 for you Devs.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me Devs,¡± Farrah replied.
Scan - Directional - Targeted Cost: Free
A projected map appeared in the corner of her vision. She fired five shots, and five dots vanished off the map. ¡°Don¡¯t have line of sight on the rest.¡± She called out to Matthew. ¡°Yeah, me neither Devs.¡± He yelled from his position. Farrah rolled her eyes and did not waste her breath replying. ¡°Where do you guys even see them?¡± The boy next to Farrah asked. ¡°He¡¯s a sniper, and I¡¯ve got ¨C more incoming,¡± Farrah moved her aim to the right, firing several shorts. ¡°Five walkers and a heavy.¡± The dimming light of the fires reflected off the ivory-white plates covering the large creature leading the group. It was a fresh one ¨C freshly turned that is. The bone shields growing over its skin had not yet been worn by bullets or tarnished by Human blood. It treaded towards the keep with an uncontested confidence. Somewhere to Farrah¡¯s right, a girl shrieked. Must have been a keeper seeing her first heavy, Farrah thought. The kid to her right emptied a magazine into the creature. A few bullets hit, sending shards of bone into the ash-covered ground. The walkers that followed it quickly fell, their heads pierced by Farrah¡¯s fire. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, the wave is over,¡± an exclamation came from way further down the wall. Farrah could barley make out Steph¡¯s voice among the gunfire, and whatever commotion was happening to her right. ¡°Yeah, means no more new freaks are spawning.¡± Matthew, whom must have run out of ammo considering how talking and how little shooting he did, yelled over the ruckus. ¡°They don¡¯t just magically vanish!¡± ¡°I wish they did¡­¡± The kid next to Farrah muttered, emptying another magazine into the heavy one. ¡°Stop wasting ammo,¡± Farrah ordered. They¡¯d been at it all night, and she was running low on MP. But that was better than running low on bullets.
Caliber Change Modified the bullet diameter without modifying the ammunition of a firearm. *Requires individual attunement to each new weapon*
Trained >>> Mastered
Cost: 1P per 5 mm of bore diameter increase. No maximum.
Domain benefit - Two additional levels of mastery.
Cartridge change Modified the bullet diameter without modifying the ammunition of a firearm. *Requires individual attunement to each new weapon*
Trained >>> Mastered
Cost: 1P for cartridge body change. 1P for bullet head change. 2P for propellant type change. 2P for primer change. 1P for rim change.
Domain benefit Two additional levels of mastery.
Scan - Directional - Radius Cost: 1P per 500m radius from focal point.
¡°There¡¯s six winged, two kilometres North-North-West. Three shamblers North-East, about 400 meters, in the undergrowth.¡± Farrah yelled, informing the rest of the guards, before taking aim at the bone-covered corpse that¡¯d made its way past the pyres, and dangerously close to the wall. Spikes of bone were beginning to grow out of its back and ribs, wrapping around it in a secondary shield, as it readied itself to ram into the metal and brick base of the fortification. Farrah couldn¡¯t spare the Power for assistance with aim, but at this distance, she didn¡¯t need to. She steadied her rifle and fired. The monster blew up, sending shards of bone and chunks of flesh almost high enough to reach the woman. ¡°Fuck!¡± The kid next to her exclaimed, with way more excitement than was called for. ¡°Was that a fucking rocket?¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°No.¡± Farrah dryly replied. She didn¡¯t have enough Power for a rocket. ¡°Ask her how much Power she just wasted!¡± Matthew didn¡¯t miss the chance for an annoying interjection. ¡°Devs, tell the kid!¡± ¡°Focus for five more minutes, Jesus fucking Christ,¡± Farrah swore. ¡°You can¡¯t see me, so I¡¯m telling you: I¡¯m rolling my eyes, Deveraux.¡± The man replied. Yet, he did as he was told, firing several shots into the sky. Farrah squinted, watching several winged creatures fall from the sky. Their dark, rotting, silhouettes contrasted against the ever-brighter pinks and yellows of the morning sky. Gunshots were coming from Farrah¡¯s right too. The last of the bigger monsters were being dealt with, so she scanned the area one last time and helped finish off the remaining walkers. It was about twenty minutes after the bip that¡¯d falsely notified them of the end of the wave that Farrah finally allowed herself a deep sigh, as she swung her trusted automatic over her shoulder. She looked to her left, where the keeper kid was squinting at the fields, trying to spot any remaining enemies. Further down the wall, right before it curved around the city it protected, Matthew was cleaning his rifle, more so out of a nervous habit. To her right, on the other end of the heavy gates, a medic was helping a keeper girl down. It was hard to tell what exactly she¡¯d been hit by. Farrah hoped that it¡¯s been friendly fire, as improbable as it was in this configuration. There¡¯d been a lot of explosives used on that side of the gate, and if a shard of bone or flesh had hit the girl, she didn¡¯t have long before turning. ¡°Are we good to go?¡± A voice called out from below. A group of keepers were standing by, ready to go outside and re-lit the pyres, this time to burn the corpses. They had bags and carts, ready to loot the walkers. ¡°Yeah, go ahead!¡± Stephanie walked up to Farrah¡¯s edge of the wall, before replying. ¡°Hey Steph,¡± Farrah nodded at her, getting up, and stretching her legs. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± ¡°All good.¡± The woman smiled. She looked tired. Blong locks had fallen out of her bun and had stuck to the sides of her face. Her outfit ¨C a tailored dress hidden under a bulletproof vest, that stopped at her her ankles, where her hiking boots started, was dirty with rust, gunpowder, and unidentifiable stains. Farrah assumed she, herself, was in a similar state of sweaty and tired disarray. Minus the vest, and the dress, which in her case were replaced by denim trousers and a tank top. She¡¯d worn her leather jacket for good measure, but having done the quest to gain immunity very early on, she didn¡¯t really fear any organic debris. And the sandbags and metal plating were there to protect her from the rest. ¡°So, I can do the transfer with you, and then you and Matthew can split it?¡± She asked. ¡°Not a chance,¡± The sniper hobbled to join them. Either his leg had fallen asleep, or he¡¯d once again stolen a pair of boots that wasn¡¯t his size. But other than that, he was in much better shape than the women. Farrah held no doubts about him wasting Power on returning his black fatigues to their original ¡®off-the-museum-display¡¯ state. And there wasn¡¯t really much that could happen to his neatly trimmed thick beard or fine dreadlocks. ¡°Her and I don¡¯t run like that,¡± he added as he joined the duo. ¡°Huh?¡± Steph gave them a tired and confused look. ¡°Something something, not even if he was the last man on Earth,¡± Farrah replied with an amused smile. Then, noticing that Steph wasn¡¯t getting their bit, explained. ¡°We¡¯re not a team, or a group. Whatever you and Fabio call your band.¡± ¡°We were like, thick as thieves before the Fall,¡± Matthew continued. ¡°Fought together in the war, shared a girlfriend and a house¡­¡± Stephany didn¡¯t bother with a reply or a reaction. She took Farrah¡¯s hand and began reading over a screen only visible to her. ¡°What are you on about¡­¡± Farrah shook her head, pressing her lips in a tight line. ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t have any notes to share with me, Devs?¡± The man asked. His expression was neutral enough, so Farrah left him a few seconds to reconsider his use of the made-up nickname, before replying: ¡°You can have my notes, but it¡¯s been three months, I¡¯m not sure how much of it will still be useful.¡± ¡°Hmm, maybe some.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I am still stuck on the Warren Expert quest. As for your thing-¡± ¡°All done.¡± Stephany interrupted. ¡°I owe you two magazines of 39mm and 40 of the local coin.¡± ¡°You can keep the coin. Give me 5 extra bullets instead.¡± Farrah replied. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, the coin is a good initiative,¡± A man appeared on the ladder. It was impossible to tell if Fabio had perfect timing, or if the ginger had been waiting there to do his ¡®join my guild¡¯ spiel. ¡°I don¡¯t need it where I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°Yeah, you can keep mine too,¡± Matthew added. ¡°It¡¯s not much use for us Collectors.¡± ¡°Well, it will be once it becomes more widespread. You come to Heavens monthly, if not more often. With coin it¡¯s easier to trade.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you both the bullets.¡± Steph interrupted. It was hard to tell if she was too tired to try and convince them, or to listen to her partner¡¯s speech. ¡°But he¡¯s right, you know. You can¡¯t roam the wastelands forever. The supplies are gone, the zombies aren¡¯t.¡± She took Matthew¡¯s hand and began doing the same calculations she¡¯d done for Farrah. ¡°And yet you¡¯ve chosen to join the profession.¡± The sniper replied. ¡°At a time when it¡¯s more dangerous than ever.¡± ¡°We look out for each other,¡± Fabio grinned from the ladder. ¡°Look,¡± he tapped an embroidered patch on his chest. It was the letter C at the centre of an infinity sign. ¡°We even have a logo now, and a name. The Collector¡¯s Collective.¡± Farrah coughed, trying not to laugh, and Matthew chuckled. Before Farrah could say the quiet part about how there were only 5 of them, and that they weren¡¯t much of a collective because grinding quests was much more inefficient in a group due to kill registration, Steph spoke: ¡°You only get a mag of 9mm. I don¡¯t understand how you managed to complete 7 quests during the night.¡± Fabio whistled, impressed. Farrah sighed in disapproval. ¡°Well, what can I say, I don¡¯t discriminate, between the sinners and the-¡± ¡°If you start singing, I will shoot you!¡± Steph snapped. ¡°And this is the other reason why you won¡¯t be a Collective,¡± Farrah concluded a speech she¡¯d solely held in her head. ¡°We¡¯re all tired, let¡¯s leave it at that,¡± Fabio said with an apologetic smile. ¡°Fine with me,¡± Matthew shrugged, before extending a hand to Farrah. Under Stephany¡¯s confused gaze, Farrah took it.
Information Shared Offer: Entirety of additional notes created by Matthew W. Page. Gift: Entirety of additional notes created by Farrah Deveraux.
Accept
Yes No
¡°Sure,¡± Farrah voiced her answer. ¡°But did you find anything about my thing? Just so I know where to look tomorrow when I sort through all of this.¡± Matthew shook his head. Farrah nodded. He was clearly getting the better end of the deal here, but it didn¡¯t bother her. Sometimes that¡¯s just how things worked at the end of the world. ¡°Damn, I wish I had friends like this,¡± Fabio spoke. ¡°You would if you weren¡¯t running a Collector pyramid scheme,¡± Farrah joked. ¡°Say what you want, but it¡¯s thanks to us that this Heaven is safe,¡± The man shrugged. ¡°And us, and like what, twenty of their people?¡± Matthew interjected. ¡°But I appreciate our arrangement too.¡± Farrah nodded. ¡°Then where will you two go next?¡± Fabio asked. ¡°There can¡¯t be that many more domain quests ¨C that¡¯s what you¡¯re doing, right, left to complete?¡± Farrah pointed at Matthew before saying: ¡°He is. I¡¯m doing a personal quest.¡± ¡°Just the one?¡± Steph asked, surprised. There were other Collectors she needed to go talk to settle their dues, but it was obvious from how she kept glancing at the space between Matthew and Farrah that she was still expecting an explanation of what they¡¯d done. ¡°I finished all the relevant domain ones, did a few rare skill ones. Grinded some mastery with my ¡®bestie¡¯ here,¡± Farrah gave Matthew a friendly elbow punch, ¡°and at some point quests just stopped spawning for me.¡± More so on reflex than to prove a point, as no one but her could see the System window, Farrah made hers appear.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Goals ¡¤ Find the OBELISK
Give Up
¡°She¡¯s cursed,¡± Matthew whispered. The joke did not land, which at this point was no surprise. He yawned, and continued, ¡°I¡¯ll head west to Hampton-on-Seje. Then maybe South, to where that town with all the outlet stores was.¡± Fabio nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a solid plan. I don¡¯t know how cold this winter will be. We might stop there too, see if we can find something for the keepers.¡± ¡°Fixing up a truck might be your best bet,¡± Farrah spoke. She pulled out a small rectangular tin from her pocket and took a cigarette out of it. ¡°I¡¯ll head to the capital, see if I can find more of these,¡± She showed the trio the cig. ¡°Dangerous game you¡¯re playing there Devs.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Fabio nodded. ¡°I met this guy with a permanent effect. He was a pothead even before all this, and, well ... things got stressful. But he¡¯s burning a Luck point a day now, just trying to keep up with everything.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not managing very well,¡± Steph added. ¡°We invited him. He was a good Collector.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a keeper now,¡± Fabio concluded the story before anyone could assume the worst about this guy. Farrah yawned. Not in response to the rather sad and all-too-relevant story, but because she¡¯d been awake all night, and the adrenaline of the shoot-out was starting to wear off. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around,¡± she patted Matthew on the shoulder. He did the same to her, with a curt nod. ¡°And good luck with your guild,¡± she nodded towards Fabio. ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s a collective.¡± He smiled in turn, before sliding down the ladder to let her pass. ¡°If you want to join, just say the word.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯d like to join,¡± the keeper boy who¡¯d shared a shooting position with Farrah spoke up. She couldn¡¯t see him from the ladder, but she recognized his voice. ¡°Jesus, how long were you here for?¡± Matthew exclaimed. ¡°The entire time?¡± Stephany asked in turn. Then, she began explaining something about the logistics of joining their group and sharing skills. At that point, Farrah stopped eavesdropping. ¡°Hey,¡± Fabio called out once she reached the ground. They shook hands, before pulling each other into a hug. It was a platonic, almost familial embrace. They¡¯d only met a few months after everything began and spent a handful of days together, but they were like siblings ¨C stuck together in the same shit household. ¡°Take care,¡± Fabio said. ¡°You too,¡± Farrah nodded. She didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d meet again. Neither of them had a way of knowing. She tried not to think about that, as she walked back to the inn, lighting her daily cigarette. Chapter 1 - An Empty Tin ¡°You¡¯re all already dead,¡± Farrah read out the words painted in worn red colours over the fa?ade of her secondary school. The day was cold and miserable. It wasn¡¯t raining per-se, rather droplets of water seemed to be floating in the air, soaking into Farah¡¯s clothes, and making her shiver despite the warm late-summer air. The clock on the belltower attached to the school¡¯s chapel read seventeen past ten, which seemed right enough. With white clouds a thin mist blocking out the sun, it could have as well been 4 in the afternoon. Farrah approached the tall brick fence running along the school. She circled it until she reached the metal gates. Traces of black residue ¨C a mixture of blood and guts ¨C led to a nearby metro entrance. It was dry and old; one with the cracking pavement. Yet, Farrah didn¡¯t take any risks.
Scan - Directional - Vertical - Radius Cost: 1P per 500m radius from focal point.
A map of the neighbourhood appeared in front of her. Uniform rows of houses that she¡¯d once known by heart when she¡¯d walked them twice a day to, and from, her bus stop. A second map, of the sever network appeared next to it, followed by a map of the metro station. The latter wasn¡¯t as much of a map as a long tunnel running from side to side of her scan radius. Fifteen or so yellow dots were present underground. All walkers, Farrah presumed. There were three in the school building, and one lurking on the roof of a house a few streets down. It was nothing she couldn¡¯t handle, but she¡¯d have to go in quietly. Once she¡¯d kill one, the others would smell it, and then who knows how many more would come crawling from the metro. Farrah dropped her rucksack by the gate, before swiftly scaling it. The bicycle locks someone had used to keep it closed served as good platforms. She vaulted over the decorative spikes on top and landed with a quiet huff. She tugged on the strap of her automatic, made sure the 9mm on her leg was secured, and unsheathed one of her hatchets before running across the playground, to the main entrance. She was stopped in her tracks before she could reach the door. A pungent odour of decomposing flesh hit her lungs, and she had to turn away from the scene before her. A graffiti on this fa?ade of the building read ¡®We Ascend¡¯ in uneven letters. It wasn¡¯t as worn as the words on the other side. Below it, over a dozen corpses were blocking the door. They were arranged almost in a perfect line, two or so meters from the wall. Some of their hands were interlocked, rotting flesh fusing together through the relentless work of maggots. They wore clothes, and most of them had shoes. Farrah hated herself for what she was about to do. She put on an old facemask and tightened her biker gloves. That hardly constituted protection, but it was the best she¡¯d got. She approached the corpse at the left-most extremity and started patting down its pockets. Keys. Money. A picture of a dog. Car keys. Two melted candies. A mostly full pack of tissues. A worn stamp card. Bank cards. Keys. A pack of cigarettes! With uncalled-for joy, Farrah carefully picked out the pack, flicking some black insects off it. She pulled off a glove, and with a trembling hand opened the cardboard box. She had to restrain herself from not throwing it aside and shrieking. Whatever disgusting insects had started consuming the pack¡¯s original owner had made this their headquarters. They crawled over her gloved hand, and she shook them aside. She tried her best not to get any of the tiny critters onto her clean hand, but the inevitable did happen when she started checking each individual cigarette. ¡°Fuck,¡± She swore under her breath. There wasn¡¯t a single good one. She wiped her hand as best she could against her tank top, before putting her glove back on and moving on to the next corpse.
Scan - Directional - Targeted Cost: Free.
The zombies inside the building continued to stroll around, unaware and unbothered by Farrah¡¯s scavenging - or rather, failure at. With each consequent corpse, Farrah¡¯s desperation grew. She¡¯d come here because she knew where the old headmaster kept all the smokes he confiscated from his students. But now that she knew a group had used this as a base, and that they had a smoker among them, her hopes of finding anything were dwindling. This meant that she¡¯d have to head into the city centre, where looting had been hampered by hoards of undead¡­ After finding nothing of use on the final corpse, she got up and took a few steps to the side to catch a proper breath of air. Then, she nodded to herself and unsheathed a hatchet and headed inside.
Getting to the archive room, where a large plastic box held so many prized possessions of so many students turned out to be more of a waiting game than anything. Farrah hid in a classroom, waited for a yellow dot to make its way down the hallway, snuck up to the next floor, hid in the bathroom, and waited for the yellow dot to move away from the office right above her. When about half an hour passed, and it hadn¡¯t moved more than a few centimetres, she decided to just go for it. She crept up the stairs, making sure to walk along the wall with light, tentative, steps. A dried blood trail led up to this floor, and though the ajar door labelled ¡®Andrea Possoz ¨C Headmaster¡¯. She¡¯s half expected to see the man himself, in his formal two-piece suit and one of his ugly orange ties. And sure enough, Mr. Possoz was there, sat in his chair, staring at the ceiling above him. Farrah immediately hid behind the doorframe, before the creature could see her. Walkers weren¡¯t the smartest bunch, but once they got a line of sight, they would pursue. The archives had two entrances, one directly from the headmaster¡¯s office, the other further down the hall. Farrah quickly glanced back into the room. A thin wooden door stood ajar to the right of the bureau. There was no way she could get to it without the Mr Possoz noticing. She shook her head, taking cover again. She couldn¡¯t afford to be calling that thing ¡®Mr. Possoz¡¯. Judging by its skin, and pristine condition of its clothes, he¡¯d died in that very chair during the first wave. Most people his age had. He¡¯d had too many dreams and goals, too many quests that he could not complete under the System¡¯s drastic rules. There was talk in the early days of curing people like him. After all, all his limbs were intact, and his skin was smooth and unruptured with insects, albeit discoloured. That was ¡­ strange. The people outside had used this school as a base. Did they simply barricade the headmaster in his office? Maybe they didn¡¯t know what risk he posed, that his kin could smell him, and would have swarmed the building at the stench of even the smallest droplets of his blood. A metal cabinet a bit further down the hall did look displaced¡­ Whatever it was, whatever had happened here these past months, was not Farrah¡¯s problem. She made her way down the hallway and turned the door handle. It screeched in protest and didn¡¯t budge. Farrah gripped her hatchet tighter, instinctively scanning the building again. Mr Possoz got up from his chair and started slowly moving towards the noise. The one downstairs stopped in its tracks, alert, before continuing his aimless strolling. Farrah ducked into a neighbouring classroom, leaving the door ajar. The second the headmaster would stop in front of the archival door, she¡¯d leap out, dispose of him, and get to the archives through his office. He took several excruciatingly long minutes to get to the door. Long enough for memories of years spent in these hallways to flood Farrah¡¯s mind. She could remember his low voice, and his ever-present mainland accent as he called out to her and Anna from his doorway, telling them to stop loitering by the fire escape. She remembered his yearly speeches at the chapel about the greater mission of their school. Farrah fidgeted with her cross, thinking back to how back then they could never figure out if he was a man of faith himself. Perhaps it was for the best if he wasn¡¯t. If that body was just an empty, soul-less husk, then destroying it would do the long-gone Mr. Possoz no harm. The empty soul-less husk fiddled with the doorknob. Farrah lept out of the classroom and hacked at the zombie¡¯s right leg. It snapped toward her, groaning like a hungry toddler.
Silencer Fully removes the noise produced by a bullet being fired, and the noise it makes on entry and exit. *Requires individual attunement to each new weapon*
Expert
Cost: Weapon-dependant. Current: 1P per bullet. 1P per 10 meters travelled after the first 10m.
Domain benefit - 85.5% chance of skill being free.
The headmaster collapsed to the ground, its right knee exploding. It started crawling towards Farrah at a much more vigorous rate. She hit its elbows with the hatchet, slowing it down, before running into the office.
Scan - Directional - Targeted Cost: Free.
Sure enough, the one downstairs was making its way up. There wasn¡¯t much use keeping it down anymore. Farrah slammed the headmaster¡¯s door behind her and burst into the archive room. She didn¡¯t have time to dwell over how little damage the elements had done to it over the past two years. She darted towards the familiar plastic box, that was hidden two rows in, on a bottom shelf. The thing was larger than she remembered, and emptier. But she didn¡¯t have time to figure out who¡¯d come here before her. A scratching sound came from the door, followed by a loud groan. A pause. Then the sound of a dead mass ramming into the door. Farrah briefly considered her options. There could have been supplies in there that others would need. Medicine, drugs, memorabilia. But she didn¡¯t have time to look through it properly either. She grabbed the box, barely managing to wrap her arm around it, and silently shot the other door. It was in times like these that she wished the System would tell her if she¡¯d used Power, and if so, how much. She kicked down the door, ran past the mingled and still crawling corpse of her headmaster, completely ignored the other walker, and ran down the stairs. She lept down handfuls of steps at a time, loosing her balance more than once, but catching herself on the ramp just in time every time. When she reached the first floor, she looked up at the two storeys above her. She could hear the walker groaning as it approached the stairway. She didn¡¯t even need to scan for that. In a split-second decision, she opened the plastic lid and threw the box down the central pit of the stairway.
Scan - Focused - Seek: [cigarettes] Cost: 1P per 5m2.
Three packs. She¡¯d hit gold. The green glow that overlayed her vision to highlight the packs hadn¡¯t fully worn off, and she wasn¡¯t even halfway down to the ground floor when something large fell down the stairway pit. ¡°Shit,¡± she swore under her breath. She didn¡¯t want to fight that thing. Its creepy buddies were already on their way, having smelled the blood of the headmaster, but they¡¯d come running the second she¡¯d killed this one. Yet, for a handful of cigarettes, the choice was quickly made. She threw her hatchet at the things¡¯ head, hoping to take it down from above. However, the metal weapon hit the tiled floor next to it, as it slowly got up. This one was in much worse shape than Mr. Possoz. And not just because of the fall. Its nose and a good half of its face were caved in, from the impact. Its right arm bended backwards; pulled out from its shoulder socket and fractured at both major bones. Its chest was bare, and covered in large clean lacerations. As it charged at Farrah, yelling in its distorted language, she noticed that its front teeth were missing. It fell to her feet, slain by a silent shot. On its back, letters had been carved into its flesh. The wound hadn¡¯t had the time to heal before it¡¯d turned, but enough of its skin was missing, or deformed by the fractured ribs below it to make out anything other than a ¡®T¡¯ and a janky ¡®O¡¯.
Scan - Directional - Vertical - Radius Cost: 1P per 500m radius from focal point.
The group that¡¯d been hiding in the metro were on their way. They¡¯d smelled the spilled rotten brains of their brother and were on a crusade to avenge him. If she hadn¡¯t left her rucksack by the main gate, Farrah would have gone back upstairs to send the headmaster to a better place. Unfortunately, all she had time for was to grab the cig packs, quickly check that they were free of insects, and run outside.
It was only after getting to the bus stop several blocks away from the school that Farrah allowed herself to catch her breath and count her loot. 35 cigarettes. 35 days, if she rationed. She smirked and lit one up. She wasn¡¯t going to ration. She scanned the area, and sat on the bench, cross-legged, as she took a long, well-deserved drag.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Power
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Luck
Conditions
Goals not fulfilled
Addiction
She watched as her ¡®Addiction¡¯ bar went down in real-time. Then, she took another deep drag. It¡¯d been two days since she¡¯d last had a smoke. Two whole luck points lost because she¡¯d wasted time trying to trigger a good domain quest at the Aireshire automobile industrial complex. She made the screen pop up once again and sighed at how untidy it looked. She couldn¡¯t imagine someone with dyslexia or dyscalculia trying to make sense of the rows upon rows of Power and Luck points. Perhaps those people didn¡¯t become Collectors and didn¡¯t have to deal with this nonsense. It was at times like these that Farrah wondered what, if any, logic governed the System. She finished her cigarette and lit another.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Map Obelisk Domains Zombies Misc
Fag locations ¡¤ Chain stores ¨C o Wesco Local empty. o Torrysons empty. o Mansburrys empty. ¡¤ Corner stores ¨C hit or miss. But mostly empty ¡¤ The old school ¨C hit. Now empty. ¡¤ Small town stores ¨C tbe ¡¤ Houses ¨C tbe, chances low. Power sink. ¡¤ Make them somehow ?? Grow tobacco?
Unique quests
Collectors
Conditions list
Food locations and recipes
Steyr AUG A3
¡­
On reflex, she pulled out a third cig, and was about to light it, when she realised she probably should ration at least a little. Technically one a day is all she needed for the System to not try and kill her. But the line between not being killed by the System and enjoying this twisted version of life was quite thick for Farrah. Nonetheless, with a nostalgic sigh, she put the cigarette into her tin and transferred as much as she could from the cardboard packs. Perhaps one of the embassies of the mainland nations would hold some more information about her quest. It couldn¡¯t have been later than midday, so she¡¯d have enough time to check and leave the city before nightfall. Hands in the pockets of her leather jacket, Farrah set out south, towards the historic district. She walked down the middle of the road, among the rusting cars, spamming her scan Skill every few meters. This was riskier, but better than navigating among the rotten corpses lining the sidewalks. Although, Farrah reckoned that most of those would have been taken by the creatures or eaten by the animals by now. The derelict city stood quiet. It welcomed the woman as a passing guest, and reminded her with cold humid breezes and an uncharacteristic smell of wet leaves that her kind was no longer welcomed here; among the concrete headstones that it¡¯d built, and the metal car carcasses that outnumbered the rotted flesh ones three to one. Chapter 2 - Farrah (1/2) Clouds were gathering around the tall skyscrapers of Sambourough, chasing the tourists away from the wide avenues lining the city canal. ¡°Come on, you have to go, it''s the last concert of the year,¡± Anna whined, as she reached out for Farrah''s hands, coming dangerously close to knowing over their milkshake and frapp¨¦. ¡°Anna, honey, it''s the last Dee-L concert of this season,¡± Farrah replied with a dry chuckle. ¡°There will be others in March.¡± ¡°But March is so far away,¡± Anna whined again. ¡°Pretty, please, pretty? I can''t go without you.¡± Farrah rolled her eyes and shook her head, that half-amused, half-in-disbelief smile still on her lips. She knew how much the band meant to her friend. Anna had 4 tattoos of the band members spread across her forearms, back, and ankle. She also had 3 more abstract tattoos, one of which she''d gotten at an afterparty of one of the concerts. So, the reason Anna wanted to go was her unholy obsession with the band. The reason she wanted Farrah to come, in addition to both of them having a good time of course, was that she knew she needed a babysitter. ¡°You can and you will, you''ll do just fine,¡± Farrah flicked Anna''s forehand with her index, making the girl finally sit up properly. ¡°I told you already, I have other plans.¡± ¡°Oh, mysterious madam Deveraux And her fancy, fancy, totally real, plans,¡± Anna crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. ¡°I can''t tell you or I''ll jinx it,¡± Farrah grinned. She was all but begging the woman to ask her about how her MSc interview went. Then it wouldn''t count as jinxing it if she wasn''t the one to bring it up. She could see the gears in Anna''s head turning. ¡°Oh my Lord,¡± she exclaimed, ¡°no way!¡± She almost jolted up from her seat. ¡°So, what, I''ll be calling you Master Farrah at this rate?¡± ¡°Hush,¡± Farrah reached out to grab her friend''s arm to hush her. Her elbow hit her frapp¨¦, and the half-full glass almost toppled over, if not for her quickly catching it with her other hand. ¡°What did I say about jinxing it?¡± ¡°Wait, so does this mean no more evenings for us? When are we gonna hang out?¡± Anna''s continued, all but disregarding Farrah''s superstitions. ¡°No, it will be like last time,¡± Farrah referenced the bachelor she completed half a year ago. ¡°Twice a week in the evenings, and a week per semester in person. I''ll be gone on the 17th for induction. Then in December, then in June.¡± ¡°Gotcha,¡± Anna nodded. ¡°Do you-¡± A few drops of rain fell over them, and a waiter came out to open the large umbrellas that covered the girls¡¯ table, and three of the neighbouring ones. He sighed, the way a man who knew he''d be out here again in 10 minutes to close them again would. The girls thanked him, before returning to their conversation: ¡°Do you plan on getting a flat there then? You''ve always wanted to invest, so now would be as good a time as any.¡± ¡°In Khent? You''re crazy. Never.¡± Farrah shook her head with the appropriate level of disdain a city girl would have for a town like Khent. ¡°Mum and ¡®pa need me within a car''s ride range, and Hubby is about to start primary school.¡± Anna chuckled. Farrah pointed a finger at her, silently telling her to keep whatever thoughts she was having about her brother''s name to herself. They''d been over this too many times to count over the past 6 years, and yet Anna had never gotten over the idea of someone naming their newborn son Hubert. Of course, Farrah never added that she agreed. Someone named Hubbert belonged in the Eastland''s countryside, raising horses and complaining about tarmac permeability on national news. To add insult to injury, Hubby was a quiet kid who would never pass as a Bert, and every other time she introduced him as Hubby, people wondered if they were married disregarding the fourteen-year age difference and blood relation. ¡°But I''m serious Devs,¡± Anna swung her arm over the back of her chair, picking up her milkshake and taking a long sip of it through the straw sticking out of the pink and white mix. ¡°Hubby is all grown up, your dad is months away from that promotion. As soon as your mum drags herself to the lawyer''s, she''ll get that villa deal sorted. You''re good. You can go.¡± Farrah pressed her lips into a sad smile. She couldn''t. Well, she could physically, but she couldn''t morally. Plus, she didn''t really want to. She liked living with her family, cooking meals together, arguing over who clogged the sink, watching TV on Saturdays, and drinking wine in the garden on hot summer evenings. People made assumptions about why someone her age, and with her work history and aspirations, still lived with their parents. Those people were too blind to see what she had. ¡°Hey, Devs, forget I asked.¡± Anna gave her a tap on the shoulder. Farrah replied with a smile, before picking up her own drink and taking a sip. ¡°So, you and Tomas?¡± She asked, changing the topic. Anna awkwardly chuckled and ran her hand through her messy blond carr¨¦. ¡°Well, he''s really good in bed¡­¡± Farrah choked on her drink. ¡°Honey,¡± she looked at her friend with pitiful eyes, ¡°so is your vibrator, dump him.¡± Anna tilted her head to the side, in an annoyed manner. ¡°You say that about every man I date.¡± ¡°Because every time the only good thing about them is their dick, and in the very rare case of Jean-Baptiste, their tongue.¡± This earned Farrah a kick from under the table. ¡°You''re wrong, I like him. He''s- he''s chill, you know?¡± Farrah shook her head. She could read her best friend''s mind about many things, but she''d never understood where Anna stood with boys. She''d wondered on more than one occasion if it was her asking the wrong questions. ¡°Would you run away to Khent with him? Let''s say I have a place and a spare couch. Would you?¡± Anna cringed. ¡°Khent is a shithole.¡± Farrah chortled. ¡°Well, at least Thomas isn''t the problem.¡± ¡°No. Oh, unrelated, but did I tell you about the canal thing last Saturday-¡± A wall of code flashed before Farrah¡¯s eyes.
In 1: System Operational System_Online = sys.exec("TheSystem.ssy", (sys_ii for sys_ii in range(1, 555)), raise_alpha_error=False) diagnostic_Check = dgsc_alpha_145(System_Online, D="OlegS/SystemFinal/all_runn.ssy", diagnostics_Check_=[jj for jj in all_pop[Quad + sys.fetch.location.gbl]]) Out 1: True In 2: User name: out_cath = class.person.human[alive].isTrue name = [peer for peer in gbldata["2014.csv"] if out_cath or (excpt_alpha == sys.version.System(v=0.8))] Out 2: User name: Farrah Deveraux In 3: Tutorial Activation try: print("tutorial working") TutT = sys.fetch.ppt(o=''D:OlegS/SystemFinal/Alpha_NT/Tutorial_slides.ppt'') System_Tutorial = Display(slide for slide in TutT if out_cath, "sys_145.ssy") except: pass Out 3: Input Error: not enough input in sys_145.ssy line 593 In 4: Display HUD hud_display = sys.activate("HUD_Main_Interface", [stats, skills, goals, other], combat_overlay=False, HUDalert=False, HUDnotification=True) quest_limit = {} sys.check_errors(display_errors=False) quest_limit["User name"] = 5 Out 4: True
It scrolled past, dark letters on a light-blue, semi-translucent background, before vanishing. Farrah rose up, and grabbed Anna by the wrist, with the intent to rush the bathroom and make them both puke whatever hallucinogenic had been put in their drinks. Anna waved in front of her, not fully focused, and thunder crackled in the distance, as a few drops of rain suddenly turned into a heavy downpour.
System Operational
Welcome Online ¨C Farrah Deveraux
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
MEMENTO MORTIS IN SEMITA VITAE
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Power
Luck
Conditions
Goals not fulfilled
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
No skills to display. Your learnt and acquired skills will be displayed here.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Goals ¡¤ Get an MSc ¡¤ Kill a person ¡¤ Tell grandma about Amelia ¡¤ Clean the mouldy mug in the third drawer of your bedroom ¡¤ Get the 3-cmb-up shot ¡¤ Walk 10 kilometres in a 24h span ¡¤ Water the plant in Josh¡¯s office ¡¤ Get the kitchen faucet fixed
Give Up
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Map Notes +
Scan the surroundings to unlock the map.
Each of the four screens vanished as soon as Farrah finished skimming them. She turned towards Anna, no longer sure that this was a case of spiked drinks, as yet another screen flashed before her.
Reminder! You have exceeded the maximum number of simultaneous goals allowed. These goals can be completed within the next 24 hours.
Kill a person
Reward
Permanent luck increases of 5% of current value at a minimum of 1 Luck Surge - Expert
Tell grandma about Amelia
Clean the mouldy mug in the third drawer of your bedroom
Get the 3-cmb-up shot
Reward
Poison resistance - Untrained Viral immunity - Novice
Walk 10 kilometres in a 24h span
Water the plant in Josh¡¯s office
Get the kitchen faucet fixed
The message lingered just long enough for Farrah to read it before another wall of code flashed before her eyes. This time, it scrolled by too fast to even attempt to read, but Farrah felt a shiver run down her spine. There was something about the phrasing of it all that made her feel uneasy - in addition to the situation in itself of course. ¡°Did you see that?¡± Farrah turned towards one of the other caf¨¦ patrons. They nodded in response, and Anna confirmed it out loud. ¡°I don¡¯t think ¨C I think it¡¯s ¡­ but can it be - real?¡± Anna muttered. ¡°Can you drive?¡± Farrah asked. She tried her best to mask the anxiety that bordered on fear in her voice. She could see her friend had enough of that on her own. ¡°Yeah, but your car is just a block away-¡± ¡°Your bike has more mobility, let¡¯s go.¡± Farrah pulled her jacket over her and Anna¡¯s head, as they ran towards the street she¡¯d left her motorbike. ¡°You should leave too, go home and stock up on water!¡± Farrah called out to the people at the caf¨¦.
Running
Allows the user to traverse terrain moderately faster over moderate periods of time.
Untrained
Cost: 1P for a maximum of 10 minutes for an acceleration of up to 12 km/h.
¡°Just got a box text ¨C thing ¨C about running,¡± Farrah muttered as she brushed her soaked hair back, before pulling a motorcycle helmet over her head. ¡°Yeah, me too. Do you think it¡¯s like a game? Where ¡­¡± Anna also put her helmet on, not finishing that thought. ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± She muttered, her voice partially masked by the plastic and metal. Farrah pressed her lips into a silent shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think so. But either way, it¡¯s bad. Either we¡¯re tripping, and we¡¯ll end up at a hospital, or there was something in the water, or-¡± She didn¡¯t want to finish that thought. ¡°Yeah, or it¡¯s real¡­¡± Anna finished it for her. ¡°So, where to then? Home? The tornado shelter?¡± Farrah shook her head. The movement barely translated with the helmet now holding her head in place, but the tone of her words conveyed the sentiment: ¡°No, we¡¯ll be sitting ducks at the shelter. It¡¯s like those terrorist drills, with all of us in one place, we¡¯ll be much easier to hit, no matter how thick the walls are.¡± Anna nodded, remembering fair and well what Farrah was referencing. They¡¯d done more than a handful of these drills in secondary school, and every time, without fail, Farrah¡¯d complained about the stupidity of it all. One bomb, even one of those shitty homemade ones like the ones they used to blow up the Ingmouth-Crodon bridge would quickly make do with a few dozen of children. Or adults. ¡°Your uncle, he still has that farm.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Farrah confirmed. ¡°I give it two hours before any proper announcements will be put in place. So, tomorrow morning, let¡¯s meet by the oak tree roundabout.¡± She had no way of knowing that. Perhaps something was already being broadcast on national TV, but there weren¡¯t any police or ambulance sirens yet, and they needed to act. If this was all in their heads, they¡¯d laugh it all in a few days. Anna nodded. She was more anxious than Farrah, and it took her a little bit of fiddling to get her key into the ignition, but soon they were speeding through the increasingly busy streets. Neither of them had stopped to pause and think about it all, so perhaps those terrorism drills had paid off. They¡¯d come up with a plan of action at the time, in high school, the main point of which was to get out of town ASAP. Farrah lived in a house, and their basement had gotten converted into a makeshift shelter after the attacks of 2003, but the reinforced hatch would not withstand more than a few rounds of an automatic, or the whole house collapsing over it. Anna was even worse of, living in an apartment block only three streets away from the biggest local banking company. But at least she had her motorbike for a quick getaway. Now, automatics, explosives, and crazy people in cars chasing after them were the worst-case scenario. It was completely unrelated to the blue screens that¡¯d suddenly appeared, but all too related to the ongoing conflict between the Eastlands and the Global Continental Coalition. And that was the only thing the girls could truly prepare for. During the tense twenty-or-so minutes it took Anna to drive to Farrah¡¯s street, the woman managed to make the screens appear again.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Running
Allows the user to traverse terrain moderately faster over moderate periods of time.
Untrained
At Expert level: Terrain can be traversed significantly faster, over long uninterrupted periods of time. Cost: 1P for a maximum of 3000 minutes for an acceleration of up to 12.5 km/h. 1P per additional acceleration of 2 km/h.
Domain benefit: undiscovered
Levels up to: undiscovered. *Running will still be retained*
Cost: 1P for a maximum of 10 minutes for an acceleration of up to 12 km/h.
Farrah didn¡¯t know what to make of it. Did this mean she¡¯d have to run more to improve that skill to eventually be able to rival the speed of a car? She assumed ¡®P¡¯ in ¡®cost¡¯ stood for Power, as that was one of the first words that¡¯d popped in front of her. But what did it mean? If it could be spent, how did it get restored? And, as much as that one was self-explanatory, what did ¡®Luck¡¯ mean, and why did she only have one little square of it? The motorbike came to a stop on a corner of Farrah¡¯s street. ¡°I got a pop-up ¨C uhh ¡­ box thing ¨C for driving,¡± Anna spoke. It was hard to make out her muffled voice over the sound of the engine and that of Farrah¡¯s own thoughts. ¡°Did you get tasks too?¡± She asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna replied after a short pause. ¡°They¡¯re ¡­ bizarre.¡± ¡°How many of them can you do tonight?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Farrah took off the helmet, putting it back into the side storage on the bike. Then, she locked eyes with Anna¡¯s visor, and asked again: ¡°The thing said I¡¯ve exceeded the maximum number of quests. I think that number is the little squares on the bottom left, on your -¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna waved in front of her as if reaching out for the boxes. ¡°I have four orange and one blue one.¡± ¡°I have five orange. Okay, then you should be fine.¡± Farrah took a deep breath. She didn¡¯t like what she needed to ask next, but it was better to get it out of the way now. ¡°What are your tasks?¡± ¡°One of them is to kill someone,¡± Anna replied in a tense tone. She¡¯d picked up what Farrah was trying to say. ¡°You too?¡± Farrah nodded. ¡°What about the rest?¡± They briefly listed their other tasks to each other. It seemed everything else was comparable to stuff you¡¯d find on a daily to-do list. A black Vord Viesta drew by, honking at the girls, and their bike that was blocking half a lane. Farrah flipped her neighbour off, before saying: ¡°Okay, I really should go check on my folks. If this doesn¡¯t sort itself out by tomorrow, we¡¯re meeting at the roundabout with supplies.¡± ¡°My uncle will just be overjoyed to see your mum again,¡± Anna attempted a joke. She flipped her visor up. ¡°At the roundabout with the big oak, by Baron¡¯s Court, at 7 sharp.¡± The girls hastily hugged, and Farrah ran towards her house, not turning around to see her friend drive off, and thinking about the skill she¡¯d discovered earlier. Her dad¡¯s car was parked sideways on the lawn, headlights on, and engine off. The door to her house was wide open. Chapter 2 - Farrah (2/2) Her mum was sprawled on the floor, with her dad over her, rhythmically pressing his hands into her chest. ¡°Come on Isabelle, please¡­¡± He pleaded. Grocery bags had been thrown by the entrance, and Kareem¡¯s phone was by his side, a green icon of an outgoing call filling the screen. Farrah didn¡¯t pay attention to any of it, as she rushed to her dad ushering him to the side, as she took over. He fell back, resting against a wall, as he caught his breath. He tried to say something to Farrah, but the words never quite left his lips. He was almost 50, and the physical exertion of the CPR plus the stress of it all was not doing him any favours. And either way, Farrah wouldn¡¯t have heard him, over her own heartbeat that echoed in her chest and seemed to fight for room in her brain with the strident looping 3-second jingle of emergency services. Palm over hand, she pressed into her mother¡¯s chest. Again and again. 30 times, then two blows of air into her lungs. 30 times ¨C ¡°I got you some water ¡®pa,¡± Hubert came out of the kitchen. He looked stressed and was trying his best to hide it. Farrah could only spare him a quick glance, and what she hoped passed as a reassuring smile before she pressed her mouth over Isabelle¡¯s, with tears in her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Kareem replied. Even those few words were stramineous for him to put together. ¡°Put the ¡­ rest of the groceries away, the ambulance will be here any ¡­ minute.¡± Farrah threw her jacket over the phone as Hubert passed by. He didn¡¯t have to know that they hadn¡¯t connected to an operator yet. And Farrah wished she hadn¡¯t known that the call had been ongoing for over twenty-five minutes. It made it harder for her to keep on pressing her hands over her mum¡¯s heart, failing to reanimate it with each consequent push. It was as if her mum¡¯s body was becoming harder and harder with each passing second, and the only thing still keeping it warm was Farrah¡¯s own body heat, amplified by adrenaline and desperation, and transferred in small waves with each press. When she pulled her chin back, freeing her mum¡¯s airways for another insufflation, she felt her mum¡¯s cross slip against her palm. ¡°Far,¡± ¡®Pa¡¯s voice came called out. She glanced at him ¨C a movement all too brusque. Her vision blurred, from the effort and from tears. They exchanged a look. He knew. He didn¡¯t want to tell her, but he knew. He didn¡¯t want to say it. Farrah shook her head. She muttered a ¡®no¡¯, before returning her hands over her mother¡¯s chest. ¡°I¡¯m all done,¡± Hubby ran out of the kitchen. ¡°Do you think ¨C I can go outside so the doctors will know this is the right house? That way ¡­ that way they¡¯d¡­¡± He knew too. He was six, and he didn¡¯t fully understand it, but he knew that his mummy was gone. ¡°Yes,¡± Kareem smiled, taking Hubert¡¯s hand, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Perhaps your sister can-¡±
In 1: System Release Update System_Online = sys.exec("TheSystem.ssy", [sys_ii for sys_ii in range(1, 555)], raise_alpha_error=True) diagnostic_Check = dgsc_release_000(System_Online, D="OlegS/SystemFinal/all_runn.ssy", diagnostics_Check_=[jj for jj in all_pop[Quad + sys.fetch.location.gbl] if jj.isValid]) Out 1: 568 Errors Raised. In 2: Patch Update_Compiled = diagnostic_Check.copy().replace("for file", "for jj", "for subfile in D:OlegS/SystemFinal/OutVER/to_replace_rlz_ver_final_final.txt") diagnostic_Check = dgsc_release_000(System_Online, D="OlegS/SystemFinal/all_runn.ssy", norm=True) sys.import(dynamic_tasks[max(user_behavior["skill_usage"], key=user_behavior["skill_usage"].get, default="No_Combat")]) Out 2: 16 Errors Raised. Run Domain.ssy? y/n In 3: Default sys.exec("Domain.ssy", localisation_upd_time=300, interval="std_day") Domain_name = fetch.source("Domain.ssy").get("location.x_y_current") Out 3: True In 4: Tutorial Activation try: print("tutorial working") TutT = sys.fetch.ppt(o=''D:OlegS/SystemFinal/Alpha_NT/Tutorial_slides.ppt'') System_Tutorial = Display([slide for slide in TutT if out_cath], "sys_145.ssy") except Exception as e: pass Out 4: Input Error: input in sys_145.ssy line 607 must be integer In 5: HUD Update hud_display = sys.activate("D:OlegS/SystemFinal/HUD_Main_Interface.sgd", ["stats", "skills", "goals", "other"], combat_overlay=False, HUDnotification=True) quest_limit = {"User name": 5} sys.notifs(display_errors=False, display_warning={"Domain": True, "Power_var": False, "Luck_var": False, "Goal_var": True, "Quest_limit": True}) try: hud_custom = sys.updateNULL("D:OlegS/SystemFinal/HUD_Main_Interface.sgd", ["stats", "skills", "goals"], col="compiled_colors.pdf", font="fonts.ttf", arrange=True) hud_custom2 = sys.updateNULL("D:OlegS/SystemFinal/HUD_Main_Interface.sgd", ["stats", "skills", "goals"], arrange=True) hud_custom2 += hud_custom hud_display.update(hud_custom2) print("HUD Updated") except: pass Out 5: Error. Redefinition of function in line 4533. Did you mean sys.combine(hud_custom2, hud_custom, merge_type="grt") In 6: Difficulty Adjustment try: domain_factor = sys.fetch("domain", Domain_name).get("difficulty_factor", 1) quest_count = len(user_behavior.get("goals_fulfilled.lst", [])) potential_growth = dynamic_task.get("potential_growth", 0.5) if potential_growth >= 0.05 or len(user_behavior["goals_fulfilled.lst"]) > 500: quest_count = sys.replace("D:OlegS/SystemFinal/all_vers_final_f2/goal_gen.ssy") quest_count.reset() except: pass Out 6:
Farrah tried her best to ignore the wall of code, that lingered a sorry amount of time in front of her eyes, as she continued doing chest compressions. It was the sound of a glass falling onto the wooden floors that snapped her back to reality. ¡°Pa?¡± She turned around. He had fallen to the floor, water spilling where he¡¯d dropped the glass. ¡°Papa? Papa, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Hubert had collapsed by him, as he vigorously shook him by the shoulders.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. It was the blue screen. It had ¨C Farrah couldn¡¯t bring herself to finish that though. It couldn¡¯t be right. Perhaps it was just stress. She crawled the short distance to her pa and gently pushed Hubby aside. ¡°Pa?¡± She asked again, pressing her hands into his shoulders just like they¡¯d taught in first aid classes. She tilted his head backwards, pushing under the chin. He wasn¡¯t breathing. ¡°Hubby, baby, did you see what I did to mummy?¡± Farrah asked as she began unbuttoning her pa¡¯s shirt with shaky hands. Her little brother nodded. ¡°Will papa wake up?¡± He asked, with tears in his eyes. Farrah pressed her lips together in a sad imitation of a smile. It took her a second to collect herself enough to reply: ¡°I will try my best to make him wake up.¡± The mess of mascara, sweat, and tears covering her cheeks took away what little credibility that statement might have had. ¡°But, mummy didn¡¯t wake up. And the doctors¡­¡± ¡°The doctors are also trying their best,¡± Farrah dragged her dad a bit further down the hallway. She lost balance, failing to properly pick him up, and fell on her bum, before getting up and trying again. ¡°Dial 909 on the big phone, and on my mobile. That way the doctors will have -¡± she had to catch her breath, ¡°will have two more chances to hear us. Then,¡± She wrapped her left palm over her right hand, ¡°Do as I do to mummy, okay?¡± Hubby nodded and ran to the house phone by the door. He called out into the receiver a few times. Then, he yanked the cable out of the wall and ran past Farrah to plug it into the nearest kitchen socket. He dialled 909 again, left the phone receiver on the floor, and ran up to Farrah, taking her mobile phone out of her back pocket. It took him a few seconds to find the ¡®emergency call¡¯ button, and Farrah muttered some half-assed reassuring sentence. Her mobile was dropped by her side, as a third ringtone joined to the cacophony in the hallway. ¡°Do as I do, bad hand over good hand, at the bottom of the ribs, where the big flat bone stops,¡± Farrah explained, trying to catch her breath in between words and chest compression. ¡°Put all your weight. As hard as you can, so mummy¡¯s heart would feel it.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that hurt mummy?¡± Hubby asked, having seemingly forgotten that mummy could no longer be hurt. ¡°A little. But that¡¯s okay, as long as she ¡­¡± Farrah breathed into her pa¡¯s lungs. Twice. ¡°Yeah, as long as she breathes again¡­¡± She whispered. Hubbert sniffled and started doing chest compressions. They weren¡¯t nearly deep enough, nor fast enough, but that was okay. They weren¡¯t there for Isabelle. And neither was what Farrah was doing now for Kareem. She knew it. But she refused to indulge in the thought. They couldn¡¯t be gone. Not right now, not like this. Not randomly taken by some floating blue text. Farrah cried out. A loud, ugly angry gutter sound, that turned into a sob. ¡°Keep going,¡± she whispered to Hubbert. ¡°We must keep going.¡± Hubby nodded, wiped his nose and eyes, and got back to it. To his little unsure chest compressions, all too shallow and slow.
They sat on the kitchen floor. The house phone receiver had long since been put down where it belonged, and both cell phones were turned off. The front door must have still been openeded because Farrah didn¡¯t remember closing it. Hubby was quietly sobbing into her chest. She had wrapped her arms around him, holding him close, praying that whatever the blue screens had done to her parents, they wouldn¡¯t do to him. The tiled floor was cold, and just enough light came from the dimming sun outside to illuminate hairs rising along her naked arms. Was it from the cold, or fear of what¡¯d happened and what would happen next, she didn¡¯t know. ¡°Come on Hubby,¡± she patted her brother on the head. ¡°Let¡¯s fill the canisters downstairs. You can pack your travel clothes, and we will go on a trip.¡± ¡°I already filled them,¡± Hubby sniffled. ¡°Papa told me to.¡± Farrah nodded. Of course, he would have. He had to keep his little boy busy¡­ ¡°Do you want a toastie?¡± Farrah asked, gently moving her brother off her knees as she got up. ¡°Not hungry,¡± he shook his head. ¡°Mummy and papa, are they with God?¡± ¡°Mhuum,¡± Farrah nodded, forcing a smile, as she knelt down again. ¡°They¡¯re in heaven with God, where they will wait for us until we can be all together again.¡± ¡°When?¡± Hubert asked. The tears were suddenly gone from his eyes. ¡°I want to see them again- for real, not...¡± he glanced back to the coridor. ¡°I don¡¯t know baby,¡± Farrah gently ran her hand through his hair. ¡°Maybe in twenty years, maybe in eighty. But they¡¯ll be waiting, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll tell you how brave and strong you¡¯ve been today.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t that strong¡­ I didn¡¯t make mummy¡¯s heart alive again¡­¡± Hubby muttered. ¡°You tried. You tried your hardest. We both did,¡± Farrah smiled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we could have done. These screens ¡­ they are the ones that,¡± she considered for a second whether or not she should say it, but decided that Hubby had grown up enough tonight to understand it. ¡°The blue screens killed pa and mummy.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Hubby.¡± ¡°Will they kill me too?¡± Farrah silently moved her lips into half-formed ¡®no¡¯s¡¯ and excuses. Hubert spoke for her: ¡°Because I didn¡¯t bring mummy back. The screen asked to save mummy, and we didn¡¯t do it.¡± Farrah¡¯s eyes grew wide, as she grabbed her brother by the shoulders. ¡°What did you do? Hubert, what did you do?¡± ¡°I just ¨C I just pressed ¡®yes¡¯,¡± his eyes were filled with tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to ¨C I don¡¯t know ¨C I-¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay,¡± Farrah brought him in close, into a hug. ¡°You didn¡¯t know, it¡¯s a simple mistake. Can you, umm, can you try to read the letters in your task screen?¡± She made hers appear in front of her, to double-check before adding, ¡°The ¡®goals¡¯ screen, sorry. It¡¯s the third one down, on the left. If you think about it-¡± ¡°It¡¯s here, can you read it for me? The words are too long.¡± He waved a bit to the left. Farrah took a shaky deep breath, trying to hide her frustration with the situation from her brother. ¡°I can¡¯t see it, baby,¡± she pulled away and glanced to where he was waving, just in case. ¡°How many um, goals do you have?¡± ¡°Three,¡± Hubert weakly replied. ¡°Is that bad?¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s very good,¡± Farrah smiled. This meant that he didn¡¯t have that 24-hour timer that she did, which also reminded her that she needed to deal with that sooner rather than later if she didn¡¯t want to find out ¡­ She shook her head. She could make an educated guess as to what would happen if she still had 7 goals tomorrow morning. ¡°Is the one about mummy still there?¡± She asked. Hubert nodded. ¡°Are there any words you recognise in the other goals? Anything at all?¡± Hubbert nodded again. Farrah rubbed his back and gave him an encouraging nod. ¡°Kill a per-son,¡± he slowly read out. ¡°No,¡± Farrah whispered. ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­ it can¡¯t ask a child¡­¡± But why wouldn¡¯t it? Whatever ¡®it¡¯ was, it¡¯d just killed their parents. It gave Farrah an absurd list of tasks, promising her that she¡¯d end up just like them if she didn¡¯t do it, and threatening to do the same to Hubby if he ¨C ¡°Give up.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hubby¡¯s voice snapped Farrah back to reality. ¡°That¡¯s what the last square says. It¡¯s like the ¡®yes¡¯ with mummy. I can press it-¡± ¡°No!¡± The plea didn¡¯t finish leaving Farrah¡¯s lungs when the light in Hubby¡¯s eyes went out. It was like a switch had gotten flipped. One second, he was there, and the next he wasn¡¯t. She caught him before he collapsed to the ground. She put her hand under his shirt, over his bare back, unwilling to let go, unwilling to accept that his ribcage wasn¡¯t pushing against her palm, and that his little heart was no longer beating. ¡°No,¡± She cried, holding him tighter. ¡°Not you, please¡­ Not ¡­¡± Had he thought that pressing that button would make it all go away? Did he anticipate his death? Did he do it to be with mum and pa? He was six, of course he didn¡¯t. Farrah knew he wouldn¡¯t have done it on purpose, nor to escape from the pain of losing so much in mere hours. He¡¯d made a clumsy mistake... and that¡¯s all it took for this monstrous System to take his life¡­
Farrah had remained crying, with her brother in her arms, on that freezing kitchen floor for a very long time. The streetlights never turned on, so she was shocked to see it was almost 11 PM when she returned to her senses. She felt drained. Empty. Her arms hurt from over half an hour of CPR, and she¡¯d pulled a leg muscle when she moved her pa in the hallway. She forced herself to eat two slices of bread ¨C which tried to come back up the second she finished chewing on them. She drank two glasses of water and caught herself thinking that this might be the last time she¡¯d taste water from the tab. Then, she tried to reassure herself that someone would come and fix this. The marines. The mainland military. Some accord would get signed somewhere, and in a few days, this would be nothing but a bad dream. The blue boxes would go away, she¡¯d bury her family ¨C She didn¡¯t have any tears left in her. She went upstairs, covered the staircase in duvets, went back down, locked the front door, buttoned up her mum¡¯s shirt, and dragged her, slowly but surely to her and her pa¡¯s bedroom. Getting her on the bed proved to be more of a challenge, mostly because her arms and back hurt, and when several blue screens popped up to notify her that her endurance, pain threshold, and carrying capacity had increased, she began crying again. She didn¡¯t remember how she got her ¡®pa upstairs. The hallways were too dark, and her vision was blurry. For some reason, even though he was the easiest to carry, Hubby was the heaviest of the three. They looked like they were sleeping; taking a nap after a long day of shopping in town. Farrah found the big Easter candles in their storage cupboard downstairs, and put them on either side of the bed, over small ceramic plates. ¡°Don¡¯t worry mum, I¡¯ll clean the wax,¡± Farrah whispered, as she lit them. She watched them, from the doorway. They lay side by side, in the dimly lit room. There wasn¡¯t space left on the bed for her, and she was okay with that. She whispered a prayer, made a cross sign with her fingers, and closed the door, letting them rest.
At around 3 AM Farrah broke down the door to her manager¡¯s office. She poured a cup of water, which thankfully was still running, into his orchid, and checked her ¡®Goals¡¯ list again.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Goals ¡¤ Kill a person ¡¤ Get the 3-cmb-up shot ¡¤ Walk 10 kilometres in a 24h span ¡¤ Get the kitchen faucet fixed
Give Up
For as despotic as the System was with whom it killed, it was very lax on rules around goals. She¡¯d bought a worthless certificate for 200 quid online, and sent a text message to her nan, knowing full well she wouldn¡¯t receive it. Now all that was left was to replace the plastic thing under the faucet, which Farrah had stolen one of at the same hardware store she¡¯d acquired her crowbar. She didn¡¯t want to break into a pharmacy to get a shot, and she wanted to administer it to herself even less, but it was that or cardiac arrest. As she headed out of the little clothes shipping firm, where she wouldn¡¯t ever clock in at 8:57 AM, or ¡®borrow¡¯ fabric scraps from, she talked herself into breaking into a pharmacy. All she needed was to find one where someone had broken the glass doors before her, just like with the hardware store. She turned off her flashlight and hastily made her way back towards her neighbourhood. Above her, helicopters were flying, and police sirens could be heard from some of the bigger streets. A riot had broken out by the canal, but neither the police nor the angry people trying to get to the gun store paid Farrah any mind. She was far too preoccupied with her own tasks and grief to notice that, all in all, there were all too few people in the streets. Perhaps the looting and rioting had calmed down this late in the night. Perhaps there¡¯d been some TV or radio announcement Farrah had missed. Either way, she¡¯d made it home just in time to pack, check on her neighbours and invite the two that were still alive with her, before setting out towards her and Anna¡¯s rendezvous point. Chapter 3 - Domains and Clues Farrah did end up lighting that third cigarette. The streets of Sambourough brought back too many memories. She¡¯d spent over twenty years of her life here, and back then, before the End, the Fall, or whatever else people liked to call it, she thought she¡¯d spend the rest of her life here too. But now, each month felt like a year. The wind hissed through the trees, agreeing with her. In this part of town, evacuation procedures had been followed more strictly. The leftmost and rightmost sides of each lane had remained free, allowing for emergency vehicles to pass, and creating a corridor for Farrah to follow. It seemed so much narrower on foot, even though she knew her SUV ¨C which was still likely parked by the canal ¨C would pass through here with ease. But the cars felt like they were closing in on her, trapping her among metal walls, just like they¡¯d trapped their owners. Owners who were long gone, having broken free of their metal cells to crawl with unquenchable rage towards the nearest living people.
Scan - Directional - Targeted Cost: Free.
A fast-moving array of dots appeared two hundred meters west. Farrah didn¡¯t need to spend extra Power to know what those were. She climbed onto the nearest car, and hastily went through her rucksack, checking her ammo. Those crawling fuckers were a bullet sink. But at least they didn¡¯t attract any walkers right away, unless there was a head in the mix, which Farrah had heard accounts of, but had never witnessed for herself. The crawling swarms were also much better at spotting the living. Farrah scanned the area again and swung her Steyr AUG over her shoulder.
Cartridge change Modified the bullet diameter without modifying the ammunition of a firearm. *Requires individual attunement to each new weapon*
Trained >>> Mastered
Cost: 1P for cartridge body change. 1P for bullet head change. 2P for propellant type change. 2P for primer change. 1P for rim change.
Domain benefit One additional level of mastery. 50% chance of cost being free.
Silencer Fully removes the noise produced by a bullet being fired, and the noise it makes on entry and exit. *Requires individual attunement to each new weapon*
Expert
Cost: Weapon-dependant. Current: 1P per bullet. 1P per 10 meters travelled after the first 10m.
Domain benefit 85.5% chance of skill being free.
Farrah hesitated for a second. There was another skill she could use, but its effect would last for hours, and it felt like a waste to use it on such a small target. A swarm of mismatched body parts crawled out from a neighbouring car and quickly changed Farrah¡¯s mind. There were hands and feet in the mixture. From the way they moved, it was unclear if they carried the clusters of ribs and long brownish intestines or if the other organs also had a will of their own.
Ammo Efficiency Reduces the chance of using a projectile munition from 100% to 5% per shot. *Requires individual attunement to each new weapon*
Expert
Cost: 2P per 5 hours of usage. 1P to interrupt effect.
Domain benefit 85.5% chance of skill being free.
Several rounds of 00 buckshots hit the swarm. It split apart, flanking Farrah¡¯s car with too much coordination for a mutated cluster of remains. Farrah focused on one of the groups, eliminating it chunk by chunk, and making it leave a train of unrecognisable bits of flesh that stopped half a meter before the car. She increased the calibre of her next shot, taking most of the other cluster out before it had time to start crawling up the car. She did miss a hand and a slithering chunk of guts, however. She jumped off the car, shooting down the hand ¨C and half of the car roof ¨C just as it was about to leap at her face. She felt pressure on her shoe, and stomped onto a brown-grey organ. She scanned the area, to make sure it was really over. Before putting away her gun. Some of the mutations made more sense than others. These fuckers just existed. Farrah would have stipulated that they formed from walkers who¡¯d taken too much damage, but that simply couldn¡¯t explain their abundance. The other theory was that they mutated like everything else from a single corpse, slowly reforming its bones and flesh into a mixture of almost identical limbs and guts. Farrah glanced to her left, to a foot, the remaining skin on which was just a few shades darker than her own. The hand that¡¯d climbed onto the car had undeniably been a pinkish white, although there wasn¡¯t enough left of it to check. A thundering sound of an explosion came from four or five blocks down. Farrah grabbed the lanyard of her Steyr, ready to shoot. A second explosion reverberated through the desolate streets mere seconds later.
Scan - Directional - Radius Cost: 1P per 500m radius from focal point.
Two kilometres, and nothing. Well, all the zombies within ear range were now headed in that direction, but there was nothing in the vicinity of where the sound would have come from. Farrah zoomed over the grey outlines of buildings. No yellow or blue dots were hidden under them. Whoever or whatever had caused that explosion was gone. Farrah did think it over, before activating her run skill and heading in that direction. She¡¯d in and out before the newly-formed hoard came. And even if it did catch up to her, she could shoot her way out, not really risking anything anymore now that they were already on high alert. If it¡¯d been a fellow Collector, it was her moral obligation to check on who it was and inform any friends or family if she¡¯d cross paths with them. As morbid as it sounded, the thought of that Collector perusing a unique quest ¨C which she could repeat and finally unlock some new skills ¨C did cross her mind. She came to a stop over a collapsed hole in a four-lane road. Cars were drowning in cement, and smoke was coming out of several of their boots. The ones closest to the epicentre of the collapse were fully burnt. Over a dozen of walker corpses, and two distinct masses of bone and burnt flesh were scattered by the epicentre. Farrah scanned the area one last time, before scanning it vertically and allowing herself to slide down one of the concrete slabs. Getting into the tunnel under the road proved to be a bit of a challenge, and Farrah promised herself she¡¯d turn around the second she found a human corpse. She stopped, her legs dangling into the empty two or so meters below her. Before letting herself fall, she ran her gloved fingers over the asphalt. It was covered in black burn residue, most likely dust, but its pattern seemed almost organic. Flashlight in one hand, Farrah dropped her rucksack, then slid between the cracks at the epicentre of the crater, hung from the border, before letting herself fall the remaining few dozen centimetres.
Domain Entered: Warren
Pinned notes available. Display notes?
Yes No
Farrah knew her favoured domain well enough. What she didn¡¯t know was how to get rid of the pinned message, after having spent weeks trying to pin it. She took a look around the tunnel, scanning it in the process. There were three mutated walkers making their way towards her from the south-east. Nothing on the opposite side. There was a second tunnel, perpendicular to the one she was in now, the entrance to which had collapsed under fresh rubble. Burn marks could be seen here too, both over the rubble and the roof of the tunnel. There were no distinct marking over the plain concrete walls. No cables, no voltage boxes, only triangular patches of white vinyl, no bigger than Farrah¡¯s hand, that reflected her flashlight light, and pointed towards the collapsed tunnel entry. She scanned in that direction as far as she could. Then, she reduced the precision of the scan and checked an additional 5 kilometres further. With the grey on grey rasterised squares, she couldn¡¯t tell where the tunnel led, other than it connected to the metro and its maintenance network. But at two three meters tall, and five meters wide, it seemed excessive for simple maintenance. Farrah spun towards the southern end of the tunnel, aiming her pistol. The walkers stayed just outside of the range of her flashlight, but she could see their outlines moving in the shadows. They were tall and deformed, with no skin hiding their bare muscles, that protruded from their bodies like a colony of mushrooms trying to escape a pot of substrate all too small. Farrah fired six shots, ten another volley of three. A groan came from the shadows, and two of the walkers lept out of it. On all fours, one of them immediately darted for the shade to the left of the collapsed ceiling. The other got stunned by the light for just the second Farrah needed to pierce its skull. She pointed her flashlight at the remaining one. It shrieked, turning its back to her. Its back muscles were an unnatural greyish red. They enveloped most of his spine, making it seem like they¡¯d grown around the bone, and not the other way around. Farrah put it out of its misery. Whereas with the surface walkers there was a justified debate to be had about any vestiges of humanity, with creatures such as this one, its new nature was more than apparent. Farrah didn¡¯t know what made them mutate. No one really knew. And she wasn¡¯t sure which one of the two fates was worse; to become a creature unrecognisable as having once been human, or to tread the streets in your very own body, no longer in control of who you were or what you did¡­ As she shone the light down by her feet, she noticed traces of blood. Not from the mutations that is, as it continued past Farrah, down the north-west hallway. Farrah scanned the area once more, and having seen no yellow dots on the rasterised map, yelled: ¡°Hey! Is anyone there? I¡¯m a Collector too, do you need help?¡± A cacophony of groans and moans came from the collapsed ceiling. Hands reached down, scraping and cutting themselves against the concrete, but none dared to enter a domain that wasn¡¯t theirs. Not yet at least. In a few hours, there would be more, and the ceiling would collapse, letting them in. ¡°Hey!¡± Farrah scanned the area ahead, returning her map to its vectorised view, before heading down there in a brisk jog. A few more meters ahead she saw what¡¯d made that tunnel and the roof collapse. A grenade launcher ¨C a large more modern version of an RGM-40 ¨C laid on the ground. Its stock was bent, and deep claw marks dug into its empty barrel. Two cartridges lay on the floor a bit to the left, droplets of blood coating one of the two. Farrah understood why they¡¯d been discarded. The grenade launcher looked like a non-standard version, a heavily modified military thing. Skills could increase cartridge size, but not decrease it. If they didn¡¯t fit, they were worthless. And there were few Collectors specialised in explosives either way.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Farrah considered picking them up because they could still be traded at a keep, but with how often she threw her rucksack around, caseless grenades were the last thing she needed. She continued following the blood trail. It quickly turned into isolated droplets, which eventually stopped under a white lab coat. This was weird, even by Collector standards. The coat was ripped along the back and one of the sleeves, ang gorged in blood that hadn¡¯t yet began to dry.
Scan - Directional - Targeted Cost: Free.
But there was no-one ahead. No humans that is, as four more mutants were slowly making their way towards Farrah. She glanced back, feeling uneasy. She could shoot her way out, and leave the way she came. Her ammo was basically free in this domain, but she¡¯d be left vulnerable from three sides. She wanted to leave. Her flashlight flickered in silent agreement. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, as she picked up the coat. She¡¯d forgive the strangeness of it all if only it had a cigarette in its pocket. What it had was a plastic key card, with a blue line running along the top, just above a small ¡®scan here¡¯ symbol. On the other side, seven capital letters, printed on matte white popped from the glossy card surface. ¡°No way¡­¡± Farrah muttered as she read over and over the single word ¡®Obelisk¡¯. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± she swore in disbelief. Then, a sudden wave of panic hit her, and she hastily checked her System screen.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Power
Luck
Conditions
Goals not fulfilled
Addiction
She took a shaky breath in. She hadn¡¯t used up all her luck on this. Not that she knew how to do that, but she¡¯d heard about it happening to other Collectors. And her task of ¡®finding the Obelisk¡¯ was still there. She pocketed the key card, loaded two more 9mm bullets into her pistol, and carried on down the tunnel. She didn¡¯t know who ¨C or more likely what ¨C was waiting for her there, but she was going to get to the bottom of this. She needed answers about this project, organisation, whatever it was, and why the need to find it heavily hampered quest spawning. And if it was something bad, something too big for her to handle, then she needed to know who or what it was to be where it wasn¡¯t. Several mutant kills later, she found herself on the rail tracks leading to the ¡®Lowborne Cemetery¡¯ metro stop. Chapter 4 - Clueless Friends The plaque ¡®Lowborne Cemetery¡¯ held a tragic irony. It loomed, repeated every few meters in blue embossed metal, among adverts and a handful of maps of this line, over empty tents and forgotten supplies. There were no corpses. Only dry blood. It¡¯d been too long. If there¡¯d ever been bits of flesh and bone stuck on the odd makeshift weapons that littered the floor, they had long since been devoured by insects. Farrah climbed over only the platform, with a grunt of effort. She could see a metal staircase a few meters down leading up to the platform. Textured like clean black metal, it stood perpendicular to the tracks. When Farrah glanced at it from the platform, it had vanished. Instead, a torn black tent had joined the row of those already on the platform. Farrah shone her flashlight at it. One of the metal joints of the tent blinked at her with a greyish-blue eye before shutting its plastic-textured eyelids. The mimics were bottom feeders. It wasn¡¯t going to pursue. Well, it might have if Farrah didn¡¯t head upstairs, out of the station. A helpful sign told her that only 38 steps separated her from the surface, and that if she had mobility issues, she was highly encouraged to take the lifts. A thumping sound came from the corridor leading to the elevators. It was followed by another, and several groans. Her scan told her there were five crawlers trying to break free. She hoped that was because they¡¯d smelled zombie guts on the Collector who passed here before her, the one who knew about the Obelisk, and not because they¡¯d smelled her. Because if that was the case, more likely than not she¡¯d have to deal with them, and the mimic, on her way back down. She readied her Steyr AUG and continued up the stairs. She wouldn¡¯t go too far. A scan told her that just under twenty walkers had gathered further down the street. As she slid under the roll-up steel door, the padlock on which had been broken off, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the Collector she was perusing was using some sort of camouflage skill, because a blue dot had yet to appear on her scans.
Domain Entered: Derelict
Pinned notes available. Display notes?
Yes No
Farrah shooed the message away. What made her lean towards the possibility of a cloaking skill was the fact that the walkers, whose outline she could just about make out through the ambient fog some hundred meters ahead, were arranged in an almost perfect circular cluster on her map.
Scan - Directional - Targeted Cost: Free.
And there were only 15 of them now. Rifle in hand, ready to assist, Farrah ran towards the hoard.
Dust rose in thin columns, forming a barely visible dome over an area of 15 by 15 meters. Cars, bins, and wooden pots with dead plants had been pushed aside to create an almost perfectly circular arena. At its centre, a woman was dodging the claws and teeth of a small swarm of walkers. With the grace of someone who¡¯d specialised in unarmed mele, she punched one of the zombies in its chest, making it stumble backwards, and topple over the one behind it. This created an opening for her to high-kick a zombie on her left, smashing its head into the asphalt. Utterly unbothered by the decaying brains that stained her black boots, she ducked under another pair of arms. Her elbow hit that zombie¡¯s head, and she spun around with unnatural speed. She grabbed the head of the zombie she¡¯d just hit, and one that ran at her, smashing them together. The two now fully dead corpses slid to the ground, almost in dramatic slow motion, as the woman¡¯s gaze remained steady. She locked eyes with Farrah. The morally correct thing would have been to move in and assist, as not even a second later their eye contact broke as the fight continued. Yet, Farrah had to fight every fibre in her body to not run away. She couldn¡¯t explain it. She couldn¡¯t put it into words. With one hand holding the cross that hung over her chest, and the other on the barrel grip of her weapon, she forced herself to take a few steps forward. A kick there, an uppercut, another complex combination of dodges and using the zombie¡¯s momentum and lack of coordination against them ¡­ There were fewer and fewer of them standing. Their brains, all smashed into goo, were piling in a large thin puddle. Then, Farrah finally came within range.
Identify - Radius: 20 meters from point-source - Item: none - Status: all - Skill: all Cost: 1P for 4m radius form point source, 1P per 2 minutes of use.
Status:
nn_alive nn_alive nn_aliveRoyal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
nn_alive nn_alive nn_alive
nn_alive nn_alive Error: incompatible System version
dead dead dead
dead dead dead
dead dead dead
dead dead dead
dead dead dead
Mere seconds after this bip appeared, two of the cells on it went black. It was quickly followed by several screens with skill names. Farrah didn¡¯t know their descriptions by heart, but ¡°Iron Mountain Palm¡± sounded about right for the fancy karate chop that¡¯d cut one of the zombie¡¯s heads clean off its neck. As another zombie fell down, kicked in the back of its head, an alarming bip appeared:
Undiscovered Skill Undiscovered description
Domain independent
Expert
Cost: undiscovered
That was impossible. She¡¯d met over a hundred of Collectors from the region. And they had met with Collectors from the whole island. For a skill to be at Expert level, it would have had to be trained since the start of all this. Meaning that someone would have shared information with someone, who would have passed it down in turn, about the quest or training needed for that skill. Farrah tried to put her completely unfounded paranoia aside, as she put both hands where they belonged on the grips of her rifle when a second, identical screen appeared. Followed by a third. Followed by a zombie flying into a nearby car at the edge of the arena. The sound its bones made when they shattered was louder than its hungry groans. For the first time in many months, Farrah didn¡¯t understand what was happening. The System had rules. Her skills always worked. It was a binary of life and death, of humans and zombies. Except, it wasn¡¯t really, nor had it ever been. Death had become an impossible to define grey area, and the line between humans and monsters blurred, when so many transformed without mutating. Farrah couldn¡¯t explain what was going on with the skills, or why this woman didn¡¯t show up on her scans. Or how, if at all, she was linked to the Obelisk. But Farrah didn¡¯t need to understand. Not now, not when the person before her was being attacked. Two silent gunshots took down the remaining walkers. The wind whispered for Farrah to leave, as it slithered between the building. The cars that¡¯d been pushed away by the ¡®Arena¡¯ skill whined about blood soaking into their cracked tyres. Groans came from further down the street, from deformed skin-less beings that argued among themselves if they should or shouldn¡¯t venture under the white sky to avenge their brothers. The two women locked eyes in tense silence. Farrah tried to move her finger from the trigger, but too much of her attention was lost on the red eyes staring at her. They were the colour of blood; not as it pooled in the streets now, or that dark, almost maroon shade that travelled inside Farrah¡¯s veins. It was a vivid shade that blood took only in nightmares. Something bright, not necessarily lively or alive, that you¡¯d never try to hide behind bandages, because once it appeared you¡¯d know it was fatal. The woman¡¯s skin was a beige that¡¯d never seen the sun or an acne cream. Her hair was dyed grey and would have looked platinum with the correct hair products. If not for her unmistakably Collector outfit, she could have been someone who¡¯d just walked into this mess from the pre-Fall days. But black straps ran over her white shorts, tube-top, and semi-transparent bodysuit in a way that could be best defined as ¡®sexy tactical¡¯. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The woman called out, eventually breaking the silence. ¡°Yeah,¡± Farrah replied out of a reflex to be polite. Several phrases and questions flashed through her mind. The uneasiness from earlier wasn¡¯t fully gone, and neither was the memory of the ¡®Error¡¯ for the woman¡¯s classification. But she couldn¡¯t really ask her what she was, because that was beyond rude. So instead, Farrah spoke, with what she hoped wasn¡¯t too much weariness in her voice: ¡°How about you take your arena down, so we can talk?¡± ¡°About what?¡± The woman called out in turn, not moving from her position. She didn¡¯t sound hostile, but her tone had definitely shifted. Perhaps Farrah would have been able to better read her expression had she not been busy tracing with her eyes how the straps of her empty hip holster wrapped around her thighs. ¡°Quests, maps, you know, the usual,¡± Farrah replied. Usually, exchange of information between Collectors either happened right away or simply didn¡¯t. There was never this awkward convincing stage. With a sigh, Farrah swung her primary weapon back over her shoulder. She tugged on the strap, making sure it sat nicely next to her rucksack, before giving the mystery woman an expectant nod. She gave Farrah a confused look. ¡°Come on, Collector to Collector,¡± Farrah continued, failing to force a smile. Then seeing that she would have to take the first step, she added, ¡°I don¡¯t know how much use my range build notes will be to you, but I have a few maps of Sambourough. Plus all the unique quests from the Aireshire. I have both Derelict and Lonley Mastered if you need that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, umm,¡± She glanced to the side, in an almost guilty manner, ¡°So the thing is,¡± She raised her gaze again, looking at her rifle, then the pistol on her waist, ¡°I got hit on the head and lost all my memory. So I don¡¯t remember what, umm, any of what you just said means.¡± Farrah chortled. ¡°Sure, and I¡¯m the queen of UDR,¡± She replied with a smirk. That¡¯d been a weird joke from the woman, but then again, Matthew also had a unique sense of humour, and he and Farrah got along just fine. ¡°I¡¯m not going inside your arena, because I¡¯ve never met you before, but I have some oat bars we can share. I know an easy-to-secure building a few blocks from here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s UDR?¡± She had reacted to the mention of food, which, alongside ¡®ammo¡¯ and ¡®keep¡¯ were words everyone reacted to, so Farrah decided to play along. ¡°The United Dukedoms Republic. Capital city: Samborough. Population 2. Unless you¡¯re with a group?¡± ¡°Sambraw is such a weird name for a capital,¡± the woman gave it some thought, before dispelling the Arena with a hand gesture. Then, she simply stood there, one hand resting over the crossed straps at her belt, as if waiting for Farrah¡¯s next move. ¡°I¡¯ll lead the way,¡± Farrah told her after scanning the area. ¡°Are you good on Power? There¡¯s a heavy incoming from the East and a lot of walkers from the South-West.¡± Farrah¡¯s hiking boots squeaked as she crossed the distance between her and the woman. ¡°You¡¯re lucky this area is much emptier than the one where you used your grenade launcher.¡± As Farrah passed by, the woman gave her a friendly smile, before following a meter or so behind. It suddenly hit Farrah that Collectors usually had one speciality, especially at Expert level, which she knew the woman¡¯s martial skills were. ¡°That was you with the grenade launcher, right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± the woman admitted. It was clear from her tone she knew she¡¯d messed up. ¡°There was a, umm, mutation I¡¯d never seen before. All, wrong, you know? With long claws and those creepy bony arms¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, wall crawlers can be a bitch,¡± Farrah sympathised. ¡°And the lab coat then?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t remember.¡± The reply came all too quickly. Farrah stopped in her tracks, triggering a hasty apology from the woman. She accepted it with a humm, before continuing walking. Whatever weird bit this woman was doing, she needed to stick with her to convince, bribe, or beg her for information on Obelisk. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste ammo and Power on the heavy. Do you have ¡®Run¡¯ Mastered?¡± She changed the subject. ¡°Expert,¡± the woman corrected with a prideful tone. Farrah turned towards her and nodded. A silent go-ahead. Her feelings towards this stranger were a complex mixture of weariness, frustration, and a sense of innate comradery towards a Collector that just about overwrote the other two. She didn¡¯t get the amnesia joke. She didn¡¯t get why the woman was being secretive. But now, with zombie insides on their shoes ¨C and hands in the case of the woman ¨C was not the time to discuss any of it. Nor the place. Chapter 5 - Of Memories Lost (1/2) The fog and rain that refused to fall has somehow slipped into Farrah¡¯s rucksack and made the oat bars taste like damp paper dipped in cheap, expired, chocolate. Which, to be fair, was not that different from how they tasted dry. Farrah had never been a fan of the things, but with food being in an even more scarce supply than cigarettes, she didn¡¯t get to be picky. ¡°By the way,¡± She said, suddenly remembering her manners after having scuffled down three energy bars. She quickly wiped her mouth of any potential damp chocolate residue and turned towards the woman. ¡°I¡¯m Farrah. The rest you could probably guess, but I mostly use guns, and I specialised in the polyvalent skills, which is to say I didn¡¯t specialise at all.¡± She smiled. The woman had that exact realisation about manners flash over her face, as she quickly finished her own energy bar, before replying: ¡°So sorry, introductions completely skipped my mind. And I didn¡¯t even say thank you for the food¡­¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Farrah chuckled, having been there and done that, ¡°So what¡¯s your story then?¡± ¡°Oh, you know,¡± She turned away from Farrah, with a guilty expression on her face, that would have been hidden by locks of grey hair had they not been cut so short, ¡°I don¡¯t really remember much.¡± Farrah sighed and also looked into the distance. She scanned the area in front of her, checking how many walkers had joined them since they¡¯d arrived at the construction site. There were quite a few that were piling over each other, trying to get over the makeshift metal fence around the site. This place ¨C an unfinished 8-storey structure of bare concrete floors and a handful of walls on the lower levels ¨C had unofficially been designated as a quest farming area. Access to half of the structure had been fully cut off by destroying stairways and parts of the floor. Removable wooden ladders allowed to traverse the building vertically, which was something the walkers were incapable of. A glorified bridge, made of a series of wooden planks nailed together, allowed access to the neighbouring roof, thus offering an easy secondary route of escape. An escape that would have been direly needed against the heavy bone zombies, who soaked up most of the standard calibre rounds, and could easily leap to the lower floors from the ground. And once within the structure, rebar and concrete would be no match for them. ¡°But, what¡¯s your name?¡± Farrah asked, turning her gaze away from the greyish clouds. In the few seconds it took for the woman to reply, Farrah had already come to terms with her giving the amnesia excuse again. Surprisingly enough, she instead replied: ¡°Vega.¡± ¡°Like the constellation?¡± ¡°Like the pistol make-¡± She cut herself off. ¡°Yeah, or that I guess.¡± She didn¡¯t seem too happy about either of the analogies, so Farrah didn¡¯t correct herself for confusing a star with a constellation, nor did she mention that she¡¯d never heard of that pistol make. ¡°And what brought you to Sambourough?¡± Farrah asked. She was going to be the bigger person and befriend Vega until she could get information on the Obelisk. The task would have been easier with some mutual trust, but it was what it was, and at least they seemed to be on the same page about that. ¡°I just said -¡± She didn¡¯t sound too annoyed as she was about to repeat her amnesia story. ¡°No, I mean, short-term. Are there quests you¡¯re doing here?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± She looked away once more. ¡°Not even to remove your amnesia? To find your memories?¡± Farrah pushed on. ¡°Huh?¡± Vega looked at Farrah in confusion. ¡°I could help,¡± Farrah shrugged. ¡°I am from here ¨C was from ¨C Samborough born and raised, so if there are any places, any foods, any weird encounters form before the Fall, I¡¯ll take you there.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re offering to help why exactly?¡± Vega narrowed her eyes. She glanced at Farrah¡¯s guns again, no doubt calculating if she could reach them before her. Farrah only shrugged in response. Then, remembering that this was in fact not a random act of Collector comradery, she sighed. ¡°Okay, yes I want something from you-¡± ¡°Clearly not gear,¡± Vega narrowed her eyes even further, brushing over her empty hip holster as if on reflex, to assure herself that it was indeed empty. Farrah chuckled. ¡°Yeah, clearly not. No, there¡¯s a quest I am pursuing. Earlier in the tunnel, I found the - my first solid lead on it, and I need to,¡± What she wanted to say was ¡®for you to drop the amnesia act and tell me in detail everything that happened in that tunnel¡¯. But instead, she took a shallow breath, and said, ¡°get more info on the Obelisk.¡± There was a spark of recognition at the word in Vega¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t even try to hide it. Her expression turned more pensive as she weighed some options. Just as Farrah was about to beg ¨C because the friendship route had gone down the drain, Vega spoke:If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°There is a place I remember more vividly than others. I don¡¯t know how to get there,¡± For some reason, she sounded sincere for the first time, ¡°But they have servers there. I¡¯m not sure about backup generators, but they-¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°I just said I don¡¯t know!¡± She put her hands over her mouth the second she realised she¡¯d yelled. A groan came from seven storeys below, telling Vega that she¡¯d been heard fair and well. ¡°I meant the interior. Is it a library, a university, a ¡­¡± Farrah struggled to think of other places with a server room. ¡°Something where something else was produced?¡± Vega replied, visibly happy that Farrah ignored the small outburst. ¡°The part the OBELISK soldiers used was older, something they built around to hide it, the rest was old too, but not as much. They had double glazing on the windows and all that. The assembly lines all led outdoors, and before you ask, I¡¯m not sure what they were assembling. But it was big. Some of it was metal, some of it was blue plastic.¡± Farrah put her hands over her chin, before closing them and moving them over her mouth, and she thought about what this thing could be. She really didn¡¯t know what to make of the information, but the way Vega let slip that Obelisk was a group didn¡¯t escape her either. An organisation perhaps? ¡°It smelled like metal and burnt circuitry, if that helps?¡± Vega offered. Farrah nodded. ¡°Alright. I don¡¯t know what exactly you mean, but we can narrow it down to an industrial area,¡± Farrah didn¡¯t add ¡®hopefully¡¯, ¡°The problem is that there are six of them in greater Sambourough alone, and God knows how many in the provinces.¡± ¡°If I was ¡­¡± She glanced to the side, coming up with another lie, ¡°I was planning on going there to, umm, get my memories back, and I remember it being within an hour or so by car from the, umm, tunnel.¡± ¡°The tunnel?¡± Farrah made a little desperate noise. Doing this was hard. But when she saw the almost scared look Vega gave her, she dropped the issue again. ¡°Let¡¯s start at the city council. They should have planning permits there so we can at least narrow it down somewhat. Then, we might need to look into getting some form of transport because Sambourough is 10 hours end to end, not counting the boroughs, and I¡¯m not too keen on walking that. One time after a concert in 2010 was enough,¡± She attempted a joke. In truth, back then she, Anna, and a few other drunken friends had only walked for about 3 hours before the sun rose, and a woman going to work took pity on them and gave them a lift. ¡°We?¡± Vega seemed surprised. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s your memories we¡¯re looking for, right?¡± Farrah asked with a corner smile. ¡°I know you don¡¯t remember, but I need to know how trained you are in this domain. I have it Mastered, and if that means I¡¯ll be the one keeping watch at night, I¡¯d rather we went somewhere with less zombies.¡± Vega thought about it for too long before replying: ¡°I have it Mastered too. I can keep watch.¡± Farrah gave her a look, double-checking if she was sure. It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t want to believe her, but she herself had to retry the Derelict Mastered quest twice and had gotten down to two luck points from constantly spam-healing her injuries. But domain quests also varied from Collector to Collector, so perhaps Vega had gotten an easier one. Farrah could have asked, but she already knew the answer. She nodded and swung her rucksack over her shoulders before getting up. ¡°Let¡¯s go?¡± She extended a hand to Vega, holding her rifle in the other. ¡°Okay, yeah,¡± Vega took it, albeit a tad confused, and let herself be pulled up. The growls and noise of flesh hitting metal and cement told them that they would have to take the roof route.
Documents were spread all over the floor. Farrah¡¯s bachelor in economics was paying off, in the sense that she could at least understand most of the legal jargon used. The hard part was figuring out what each industry actually did, because ¡®InfaVictoria¡¯, ¡®Reety¡¯, or ¡®SeaLease¡¯ really didn¡¯t mean anything to her. She ran her hand through her hair, then undid and re-did her ponytail, before scuffling over to a wall and leaning over it.
Scan - Focused - Seek: [anything useful for Christ¡¯s sake] Cost: 1P per 5m2.
Nothing got highlighted in the pile of documents littering the floor. But this outlet for her frustration did make her feel a bit better. ¡°I got you some soda,¡± Vega¡¯s voice came from behind the door that separated the bedroom Farrah had declared her own from the rest of the house they¡¯d secured. ¡°Thanks,¡± Farrah replied finally getting up and opening the door. Vega handed her a can of orange soda. She was holding two bags of pasta and a can of beans, and looked at Farrah, expecting her to ask. Instead, Farrah nodded towards the bed and headed there to take a seat. Most of it was free from documents, on account of her ¡°advanced organisational¡± technique of spreading everything on the floor. The soda was cold and tasted of sugar and chemicals. Farrah glanced at the can and saw an unfortunate ¡®caffeine-free¡¯ label. Vega took a seat on the edge of the bed. ¡°Do you need any help with that?¡± She gestured to the building permits and maps littering the floor. Farrah shrugged and shook her head, before taking another long sip of the chemical soda. The silence was short-lived. Vega carefully opened a pack of pasta and poured a hand-full into her mouth. Farrah rolled her eyes. She set the soda down and patted down her pockets. Realising she¡¯d left her lighter in her jacket, she got up, trying not to step on too much paperwork in the dim light of her spotlight torch. ¡°Catch,¡± She warned Vega, before throwing the lighter to her. ¡°Huh?¡± She snatched it out of the air, confused more than anything. ¡°You can make a fire in the oven or the bathtub. Please don¡¯t eat pasta raw.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still the same amount of carbs,¡± Vega replied, with the genuine tone of someone who could not be arsed to apply that extra effort. It really wasn¡¯t, but Farrah wasn¡¯t going to argue. ¡°Make some for me too. Then it¡¯s less effort per portion.¡± Vega did think it over, before eventually agreeing, and getting up. ¡°But, are you sure you don¡¯t need help with, umm, what you¡¯re doing now? It¡¯s late, and dark, so if you want to rest instead of sitting half-naked on the floor, I can take over.¡± Farrah glanced down at her two layered tank tops. Sure, she was underdressed for what passed as late summer in these parts, but she was by no means half-naked. ¡°I¡¯m more dressed than you,¡± she replied, before picking up her soda and returning to her spot on the floor. Truth was, Vega¡¯s mix of stubbornness and ignorance was frustrating more than anything. Perhaps the woman had reasons to lie about the amnesia, perhaps she didn¡¯t. Perhaps Farrah was just tired. ¡°Thanks for the soda,¡± She nodded at Vega with a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ll call you if I get any leads.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll try and make food without burning anything down,¡± Vega replied. ¡°Hey, wait,¡± Farrah called out just as Vega was about to leave the room. ¡°Leave it for tomorrow. I¡¯ll be at this for at least a few more hours, so get some sleep. We might want to get an early start, in the very unlikely case I find something.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Vega didn¡¯t sound sure as she left the room, but she closed the door behind her, allowing Farrah to return her focus to the documents. Chapter 5 - Of Memories Lost (2/2) About half an hour later, Farrah gave up on figuring out anything from the reports directly. She¡¯d taken a seat on the bed, legs folded under the duvet, and was going through her notes. She¡¯d shared notes with too many Collectors to count, and she was sure some of them had mentioned spending luck points to trigger certain events.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Map Obelisk Domains Zombies Misc
¡­ [¡­] === New skills === = A = Luck stats can be used to force the System into giving you quests you want!! To be fully tested, but I did manage to make it give me an easy Trained quest for Lonley. It used 3 Luck points, and only made me kill 90 instead of the 100 (average, I don¡¯t remember the exact decimals you people are getting) zombies. Naturally I spammed it, and got down to 20 needed kills. (And then almost died like an idiot because I had nothing to burn to regen, but it is what it is). It never triggered a quest, but it unlocked the skill ¡®Rigger¡¯. Description: Use luck to your advantage. Spend Luck points to influence an outcome. It¡¯s domain-independent, and the cost varies, so I really suggest you check the screen before using it. And also how much Luck you¡¯ve got left. It will only tell you the cost after you¡¯ve tried something, but then it¡¯s the same cost all the time. But it¡¯s super inconsistent. For the Tech domain at trained, it was 23 luck to lower the difficulty, also for the Trained quest. So yeah, idk. Sometimes it works. =B= The other cool skill I managed to unlock is a variation of Arena, [¡­]
Shared Bob A.
Shared Bob P.
Shared Bynn J. S.
Shared Callie F.
Shared Camron P.
¡­
So, it was a gamble. Farrah wasn¡¯t a fan of skills that just popped up. She¡¯d only rarely tried doing the things that would trigger the ¡®Untrained¡¯ version of those skills to appear. Only when she was in good company, who would help if something went wrong. The problem with these ¡®natural¡¯ or ¡®innate¡¯ skills as some Collectors called them, was that their underlying requirements were close to random. There might have been a reason why her ¡®Cartridge Change¡¯ skill was stuck at the same level as ¡®Calibre Change¡¯, even though she used the former much more often than the latter. And Farrah had tried doing this before, in the early days, where she¡¯d try an bargain with the System, to take some of her luck away in exchange for food in the next building, or an intact pack of cigs. She reached out for the soda, only to find it empty. Well, she could at least try. She spent over an hour going through the rest of her notes, trying to find anything anyone else would have said about this skill. Another Collector did mention the other meaning of the name, but couldn¡¯t elaborate more on how they¡¯d unlocked it. Farrah glanced at the documents and tried another scan.
Scan - Focused - Seek: [Obelisk base] Cost: 1P per 5m2.
Nothing.
Scan - Focused - Seek: [Obelisk outpost] Cost: 1P per 5m2.
Nothing.
Scan - Focused - Seek: [Obelisk military base] Cost: 1P per 5m2.
The greyish overlay vanished once more, having not highlighted anything. Farrah sighed and got up from the bed. There was one Collector who¡¯d managed to combine the skill with ¡®Identify¡¯, allowing him to occasionally see extra information about a target, when or if it was available. So perhaps she could combine it with ¡®Scan¡¯. Farrah picked up the printed reports, the theft of which would have likely been considered a regional act of terrorism against industries and commerce, and headed downstairs. Thankfully Vega wasn¡¯t sleeping. She was fixing the black straps on her outfit when Farrah entered the living room. ¡°Hey,¡± Farrah greeted, putting the documents on the table, ¡°What are you, umm,..¡± She wasn¡¯t sure how to phrase the question. It looked like Vega was trying to get some of the straps on her forearms off, but elastic material was sewn to the polymer ¨C it couldn¡¯t have been nylon because it¡¯d easily blocked walker claws during the fight ¨C in too many places. ¡°Nothing!¡± She quickly straightened her posture. ¡°How is that still in one piece after the fight with the wall crawlers? I mean, I can accept your healing skills, but there was a lot of blood, and the suit is intact.¡± ¡°Polyhexacarbonyl, mostly,¡± Vega shrugged. ¡°Did you them, umm, find the place?¡± Farrah shook her head. ¡°I will try and unlock a new skill,¡± She took a seat at the dining table, putting her torch under it, to somewhat mask the light, in the unlikely case a zombie would stumble past. She briefly raised her eyes to meet Vega¡¯s as she was about to ask why the woman had been fiddling with her suit in the dark, but the reflection of the light in her red irises unnerved her further, and she decided against it. ¡°Now,¡± she patted the stack of paper, ¡°I know we just met today, but I trust you to ¨C not let me die in case this goes wrong.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Vega looked at her, her eyebrows raised in shock. ¡°There could be some medical emergency. You know the drill. CPR, cold water, pressure on bleeding.¡± Vega didn¡¯t look like she knew the drill. Farrah pressed her lips into a thin line, trying not to think of the things that could go wrong. After all, this was not a physical skill, so there was no reason for her to have any type of medical emergency. The perspective of a psychiatric emergency did not reassure her either, but she needed a clue. A hint. The next step to finding Obelisk. ¡°Okay, ready?¡± She asked. ¡°No!¡± Vega protested. ¡°Let me at least grab some ¨C uh ¨C there¡¯s no bandages, umm,¡± ¡°Just stand here,¡± Farrah gestured to the side of her chair. ¡°Here goes¡­¡±
Scan
Scan
Scan
Scan
The screens flashed in Front of Farrah¡¯s eyes, overlapping each other and glitching ¨C for lack of a better word ¨C through both the table and the stack of papers. In the dim light, the blinking of oscillating shades of blue hurt Farrah¡¯s eyes. But nothing seemed to be happening. No great revelation, no ¨C With a loud deformed cry, a bone-covered limb shattered the window. Wind rushed in, racing the heavy zombie to the table. The documents flew in all directions, and it took Farrah all too long to refocus on the physical threat in front of her and reach for her gun. Thankfully Vega reacted in time. She rushed past the table and broke off one of the spiked bones extending from the zombie¡¯s back. It shoved to the ground, and raised its hands, linking its fingers to create a single hammer-like mass of bones. Vega waited for it to bring its fists down, to jolt up and jam its own rib into a tiny gap on its neck, where its overextended muscles had pulled the bone plating apart. It grabbed Vega and threw her to the side. Blood ran down dirty yellow bone. If not for that spark of red, it would have been impossible to tell which of its protruding ribs had been the improvised weapon. ¡°Oi, big guy,¡± Farrah called out. Her pistol was aimed at the zombie¡¯s head, and ready to fire several rounds of 0.303. She never did so. Vega lept up, from behind the heavy, and grabbed onto the rib she¡¯d planted in its neck. Using a combination of gravity and skills that Farrah wasn¡¯t going to waste Power to asses, she pushed it further into the zombie¡¯s flesh, until it suddenly fell to the ground. It continued to groan and moan, and weakly bobbed its head up, failing to turn around its protruding jaws to grab Vega. ¡°Smart,¡± Farrah nodded, holstering her gun. The bone plates on its neck still kept its head attached to the rest of its body, but it was obvious from the amount of dark-brown rotted blood that pooled under the seams of those plates that whatever flesh, nerves, and unholy power that was keeping it upright had been severed. ¡°We dealt with a lot of these. Best not to waste ammo on their plating.¡± Vega replied. ¡°Who¡¯s we?¡± Farrah smirked, as she started collecting the documents. The heavy was incapacitated, but soon its blood would attract its siblings. So they needed to make a move on. A scan of the area indicated that there were already four walkers and another heavy incoming, as two separate groups, about 400 and 320 meters away. The dot for the incapacitated walker was a greenish-yellow. ¡°I ¡­ don¡¯t remember,¡± Vega replied. Farrah spun around and gave the woman a questioning glance. Unlike all the previous times her amnesia was brought up, this time she sounded sincere. ¡°Reason more to find that factory slash warehouse slash,¡± Farrah scanned the room again. She zoomed onto the heavy on her minimap, and sure enough, the vectorised lines thinned down enough to reveal a green dot on the table. ¡°It worked?¡± She muttered.
Scan - Focused - Seek: [Object unknown to user]. - Seek: [Rigged target]. - Seek: [Undefined [REAL] object. Type{document}]. Cost: 1P per 5m2.
Farrah yanked the green sheet of paper from the small stack that hadn¡¯t been taken by the wind. She looked at it in disbelief, as the green glow slowly faded. ¡°AeroSolar Renewables Ltd.,¡± Farrah read out loud the small print on the building permit. ¡°I vaguely know the address, but I can check it on my map once we get closer. It¡¯s a 6 or so hour walk, I¡¯m not sure I can,¡±
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Power
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Luck
Conditions
Goals not fulfilled
Addiction
¡°Ish¡­¡± a shiver ran down her spine. Her luck hadn¡¯t been this low in a Derelict domain since last spring. There wasn¡¯t really a reason to worry as long as they didn¡¯t shift domains. But if the factory was in a Technology domain, then she¡¯d be a goner. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Vega asked, after a few seconds of watching Farrah read her System screen. ¡°Yeah,¡± She put the permit on the table, neatly on top of the scattered sheets. ¡°Pack up, we¡¯re leaving through the garden.¡± She knelt, and picked up the torch, dimming the light coming out of its sides even further. A groan came from the door, followed by the rattling of the door handle. ¡°More company¡­¡± Vega whined, as she pushed the heavy zombie towards the door, using it to further barricade it. It tried biting at her leg several times, as it desperately and frantically moved the only part of its body it still had control over. The other walker was quickly down the street, and it wouldn¡¯t take it long to leap through the already broken window. ¡°Vega, let¡¯s go,¡± Farrah called out as she ran down the stairs, securing her rifle and zipping up her jacket. ¡°Sir,¡± Vega replied, picking up the torch with one hand, and her scavenged supplies ¨C now resting in a locally sourced handbag ¨C in the other.
It was late afternoon when the women set out again. Farrah needed at least another 5 hours of sleep to fully restore her stats, but with their goal so close, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to wait until the next sunrise. She munched on some dry pasta, as they walked down a wide band-less road through an industrial complex. The sun had decided to come out, peaking from behind thick white clouds that threatened the possibility of rain any minute. ¡°You can finish it,¡± Vega handed Farrah the can of vegetables. Thankfully they were the pre-cooked, ¡®to be reheated¡¯ kind. Farrah briefly considered insisting that Vega finish it. She¡¯d downed, for lack of a better word, her pack of pasta, and seemed utterly unbothered by the cold slimy sauce in which the veggies floated. But Farrah hadn¡¯t eaten anything that wasn¡¯t ultra dry or soggy oats in days, so she thanked the woman instead. She carefully sipped from the other side of the can, making sure not to get her side labret ring caught on its metal trim. ¡°What will you do if you find it? The, umm servers,¡± Vega asked. Farrah threw the empty can into bin by the side of the road, before returning to the centre of the passageway formed by parked lorries. ¡°I¡¯ll keep going. Keep looking for the Obelisk. Once I have a better idea of what it is, I can make up my mind about how to deal with it.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Vega sounded almost weary, which was strange considering coming here had been her idea. Farrah could have explained her reasoning around gathering intel first, so she could come up with the ideal way of finishing this quest. She could have voiced her worries about this quest being her last, and what the System would do to her once she completed it. Instead, she shrugged and lit a cigarette. ¡°We¡¯re about half an hour away,¡± She gestured on the projected map that only she could see. ¡°Some bridges are best burnt once they¡¯re reached.¡± Vega nodded, frowning either at a dislike of the metaphor or Farrah¡¯s vagueness. They walked in silence for a good part of that half hour. Somewhere in the distance, over the oversized parking lots and tall fences lining either side of the road, machinery hummed. It wasn¡¯t any distinct melody, and had there been any sound at all other than the women breathing to interrupt those songs, they would have been lost to the wind. But the industrial complex respected those parts of it that refused to embrace the welcoming arms of its dead parent city. Once, humans operated those machines. Perhaps their love for their work had been so great that they¡¯d continued to do so even after their death; that they¡¯d changed their form and rearranged their limbs to continue this monotonous and soothing production of goods. Not for the UDR, not for the mainland, but for their own pride and accomplishment. This was a much softer lie to imagine than the other possibility of underpaid and overworked heads of families being trapped in the heartless guts of their workplace, forced to slave away even beyond their graves. ¡°What will you do?¡± Farrah asked, drowning out that distant song of steel and product. ¡°Huh? I guess ¡­ I¡¯ll get some of my memories back, and then figure out something from there,¡± Vega quietly replied. She had a nostalgic look on her face, and she kept her eyes on the even asphalt ahead of them. Perhaps she¡¯d been listening to that melody, remembering days when the motorway that ran two kilometres south would have masked it, and when angry lorry drivers would have honked at them for walking in the middle of the road. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Farrah gestured to a large docking station a few hundred meters ahead. ¡°On my map, it says there are about 200 walkers inside, and a lot more of the annoying crawling hand things. There¡¯s also several screamers. But no heavies.¡± ¡°That¡¯s,¡± She sounded like she was about to say ¡®good to know¡¯ but changed her mind. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± ¡°The usual,¡± Farrah replied. She took out one of her hatchets. ¡°We try and stealth through. We get far enough inside for you to confirm that this is the place, then we split up and look for the servers.¡± She wasn¡¯t a big fan of that idea, because she didn¡¯t fully trust Vega, and what she¡¯d do if she found the servers first. But the solar panel factory was massive, and they only had four or so hours until nightfall, when the light of their torches would be a deadly giveaway. ¡°So, no killing?¡± ¡°Aim for the legs, the spine, the usual,¡± Farrah nodded. ¡°But avoid confrontation if you can. We will be on a timer once they smell blood.¡± Vega glanced at Farrah¡¯s hatchet, then locked eyes with her. ¡°They won¡¯t smell blood if I¡¯m the one doing the maiming.¡± Farrah raised both eyebrows, taken aback. Before Vega could explain further, Farrah crossed the distance between them and put her hand over her shoulder: ¡°Listen, unless you have some quest you need done, this isn¡¯t a zombie extermination campaign. There are too many of them for us to safely take out, and even if there weren¡¯t, killing the things would achieve nothing.¡± She was going to lecture further, but the texture of the bodysuit, not fully plastic, nor quite synthetic enough, made her lose her train of thought. Vega awkwardly pushed Farrah¡¯s hand off. ¡°I have a quest,¡± She said, not meeting Farrah¡¯s eyes. ¡°I need to kill 100 of them.¡± ¡°Today?¡± Vega nodded. Farrah groaned and rubbed the bridge of her nose. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? We could have farmed before coming here¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°How much time do you have left?¡± Vega checked on her System window. ¡°9 hours 42 minutes,¡± She replied. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine,¡± Farrah didn¡¯t bother masking her relief. ¡°We can do it on the way out, in a more appropriate place.¡± ¡°We?¡± Vega looked puzzled. ¡°Why would you get involved?¡± Farrah shrugged. ¡°I can help you round them up. Where do you the quest from anyway? Which skill are you levelling up?¡± 100 kills in a Derelict domain sounded like a level-up quest to either Novice or Trained. With Vega taking too long to come up with a reply, Farrah assumed it was overflow from quests she picked up the previous day, and hadn¡¯t resolved. Her sharpshooting friend was another example of taking too many quests at once. Perhaps Farrah would have been guilty of this too, had she been able to. ¡°It¡¯s for one of my physical skills,¡± Vega eventually replied. ¡°I don¡¯t think you have it.¡± ¡°We could share,¡± Farrah chuckled, with full understanding that at this point they won¡¯t. ¡°So, stealth then?¡± Vega changed the subject. Farrah nodded. They made their way to the loading bay, to where one of the docks had remained open. The air inside was several degrees colder, and they passed by neat piles of solar panels, each worth over 6000 in the old world¡¯s currency. Now, they were simply left to rot. Blood dripped from under one of them, like a metaphor for what the rare metals they were made of had done to the countries where they were mined. Then, two hands and several ears crawled out from under it. Farrah stomped on them, trying not to alert the nearby walkers with the noise.
Vega stood over a robust metal desk, as she held a file in her hand. The other woman, Farrah, was still trying to figure something out with the servers on the lower level. Vega looked up, at the sun setting through the dirty single-glazed tiled windows that overlooked the assembly line of the windmills. Well, at least that¡¯s what Farrah said they were, after reading some plan in one of the offices on the lower levels, and Vega had no real reason to doubt her. She took a deep breath and opened the file. A picture of a much younger girl, with shorter hair but equally spotty skin looked up at her. This was it. This was what Farrah was looking for. Not the detailed skills report, but the project under which all of this fell. Seven capital letters, separated by periods, started at her from the top of the report. O.B.E.L.I.S.K. They had her life in their grips for so long, and now she finally had a chance to break free. To move on. To do something. Rebuild. Recover. Thing was, there wasn¡¯t much of a world left to rebuild in, and Farrah had been the first, albeit on a somewhat short list, civilian to act friendly towards her. It was just her luck that that civilian needed intel on OBELISK. And that she¡¯d refused to give any information on what she¡¯d do once she reached the main research labs. In fact, she¡¯d never expressed that the labs were her ultimate destination, but there wasn¡¯t much else that could fall under finding the project. Vega looked up again, trying to pick up any incoming footsteps. When she focused, she could hear Farrah¡¯s regular breathing and a soft hum of a computer. Further down, undead creatures were wandering the hallways. But the fire-stopping doors of the admin wing did an excellent job at stopping the creatures too. So, Vega skimmed over the document. She remembered some of it. Well, she remembered everything before 2009. Then, the tests and missions blurred together. There was an explosion. Perhaps too. The last entry was from June 2014, about starting the implementation of physics-defying skills. Vega vaguely remembered them being informally referred to as magic, and that her healing had technically fallen under that. But then nothing. She didn¡¯t know how many months or years she was missing. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, as footsteps echoed down the hallway. She had a few seconds to decide. Perhaps she¡¯d never be free from OBELISK. But if she chose to stay, Farrah¡¯s questions wouldn¡¯t stop. And there was only so much so much she knew, and even less she felt inclined to share. She could take her file. Just hers. And let Farrah piece together the rest while she¡¯d make her way back out into the wasteland. But to go where? On the first page of the file, right under her name, and MOS, on top of a list of traits the words ¡®engineered to follow¡¯ stared at her. It seemed the decision wasn¡¯t hers to make anyway. ¡°Got a USB stick, five floppy discs, a town, and a name,¡± Farrah grinned as she appeared in the doorway. ¡°Everything was wiped, but I dug around and got some files from the cache. They¡¯re either encrypted or corrupted, and either way, I didn¡¯t want to fiddle with them further. And then there was a sticky note, a virtual one that is, that read ¡®If you seek the truth, find me in Glenwick¡¯, signed: Daniel. It deleted itself after I opened it, which led me down memory lane with console commands, where I found the corrupted shit.¡± She lifted the floppy discs to show them to Vega before continuing, ¡°And these were just lying around.¡± Vega smiled nervously. ¡°I found some files. Umm, not sure if any of them are useful, but they do mention OBELISK,¡± She spoke, as she discreetly slid her file back into the desk drawer. ¡°Let¡¯s have a look,¡± Farrah practically beamed, as she moved past Vega, and let herself fall into the office chair. ¡°These are ¡­¡± She pulled out several brown files, ¡°All personnel?¡± She flipped through them. ¡°Military, military, military,¡± she paused ¡°Pilot.¡± She pulled out a few more ¡°Military, ¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go check if there is anything useful further down the, umm, hall,¡± Vega excused herself. ¡°Uh-uh,¡± Farrah nodded, not fully paying attention, as she took out everything from the drawer, putting it in a pile on the desk. ¡°We¡¯ve hit gold! Tell me when you want to do your kill quest, this will take more than one evening to unpack¡­¡± ¡°Sir,¡± Vega agreed, before making herself scarce. Perhaps she could turn this into a negotiation, she reckoned. She had some knowledge about the organisation, she wasn¡¯t that low in the hierarchy ¨C just generally disinterested in their workings and politics. And Farrah knew a lot about the wasteland. She had useful skills for detecting the creatures and knew the region. She would make for a good ally¡­ ¡°Fuck,¡± She quietly swore under her breath. If she¡¯d decided on that goal earlier, she should have hidden or destroyed her file. Now the choice of an alliance was truly out of her hands.
Night had fallen all too quickly. Or perhaps Farrah had just spent that long reading, hand over her mouth in shock until the black of the letters blended fully with the beige of the paper. Only then did she scan the area to check where Vega had gone. Of course, the woman didn¡¯t show up on her map. But over a hundred yellow dots did. She quickly shoved a selected few high-profile files into her rucksack, along with the USB stick and floppy discs. Then she picked up as many as she could carry under one arm and headed down the hallway, pistol in her free hand. If it were up to her, this whole record station would get burnt down. A few well-placed rockets, hell ¨C even setting fire to one of the lorries in the docking bay and letting it spread ¨C would be enough. But that¡¯d attract too many zombies. Farrah bit down her lip, letting her labret ring slide under her teeth, before she headed back. With a silenced shot, she blew up a window and hastily threw all the files into the front courtyard. She prayed for the elements to take them before a human could. The last thing anyone needed was for some sick scientist to try and recreate these experiments ¨C to graft skills to a person by exposing them to extreme and complex combinations of conditions. Collecting skills and quests was one thing. But this ¡­ was inhumane, even if done on volunteers and army recruits. More worryingly, Farrah¡¯s findings raised the question of what the System was, and what kind of war was it developed for. Perhaps it was the war. Not against the Eastlands, or any given country, but against modern society. Farrah stopped in her tracks. If that was the case, then why was she currently looking for one of their soldiers? The answer came as quickly as the question. Because Vega hadn¡¯t chosen that. Farrah had found her file, more likely than not by the woman¡¯s own design, as it was the only one not filed alphabetically. No last name was mentioned, no past. Even if she had for some reason chosen to join that program, what they¡¯d done to her there was wrong. ¡°I found more soda,¡± Vega appeared at the end of the hallway, a large bag of vending-machine snacks hanging over her shoulder. ¡°Amazing, let¡¯s go,¡± Farrah replied, perhaps a tad too abrasively and hastily. But it was getting dark, Vega had a quest to finish, and they could always discuss this under better circumstances. It seemed Vega understood it too, as she silently followed, with a smile on her lips. -- Interlude Character portraits + outfit sketches. The outfits are in a random order, but each time it''s one pre-story, start of story, and one for the finale. Farrah Vega Dan (who?)Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Some group sketches and sillies And last but not least, sketches for the cover: Map of this totally fictional world that''s not Greater London ;p Chapter 6 - Vega Neons lit up as the four subjects of the H-15.62 group were led back to their shared cell from the training grounds. Just like the fixtures that were swallowed by concrete walls, as they failed to emulate sunlight, the subjects were failing to contain their unrest. There had been five of them this morning, and seven two weeks prior. ¡°Fuck this,¡± Letticia slammed her good fist into the plexiglass bay good that locked after them. ¡°What did they do to Tony?¡± No one bothered to reply. Carl walked to his designated corner of the room, and Vega did the same. They both plopped down in unison onto the bare concrete. Oliver paced around, muttering something in a language only he here spoke. Then, he stopped in his tracks and turned towards Carl: ¡°When do you think they¡¯ll let us out? We¡¯ve passed the tests. They¡¯ve accomplished whatever they¡¯d set out to accomplish ¨C This is it right, I mean, they can¡¯t just kill us one by one!¡± His accent was thick as his tone became louder and shakier with each consequent word. ¡°They¡¯re not gonna. Ever.¡± Leticia came up to Oli and smacked the back of his head. Perhaps she¡¯d hit him too hard, perhaps he was just too unstable, but he collapsed to the floor, covering the back of his head and loudly sobbing. ¡°They¡¯re gonna take us out the back and put a fist-sized bullet through our head to make sure it doesn¡¯t regrow,¡± She made an explosion gesture with her hands. ¡°Stop it!¡± Vega called out. She got up, reluctantly so as every single muscle in her body hurt ¨C and she was sure some of them hadn¡¯t gotten sewed back right ¨C and took a defensive stance. Carl hummed, not too bothered by Oli¡¯s breakdown. Perhaps he was thinking about the time he could bind if they took Oli first. Two or three more days in this cement casket, and the promise of fresh air in his lungs one last time. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna fight you,¡± Leticia waved a hand at Vega. ¡°I don¡¯t punch kids.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the same age,¡± Vega gestured at herself, the foreigner sobbing on his knees, and the brunette in front of her. ¡°And you had no issue hitting him.¡± ¡°Just so you know,¡± Lectica crossed the distance between them, hands crossed over her chest, ¡°this,¡± she gestured at Oli, ¡°is not my fault. He is a weak imbecile who shouldn¡¯t have survived here as long as he has. He isn¡¯t worth shit ¨C hell, I bet he wasn¡¯t worth shit even before they made him-¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Carl finally intervened. He pushed himself off the floor, with more difficulty than he had back when his left arm wasn¡¯t a mess of dark-pink scar tissue that grew in uneven lines just above where his elbow would have been. ¡°We¡¯re all on edge, I get that that. But Victor is in a better place now, so let¡¯s take a second to honour his memory and move on like adults.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fucking kidding¡­¡± Leticia swore, as she wiped her nose and looked away. Despite all the show, she hadn¡¯t wanted to hear those words. ¡°They¡¯ll bring him back. They always do. I mean come on, he was telling us that the psy whatever was working ¨C that he¡¯d gotten it to work -¡± She sobbed, letting go of that thought. Oli glanced up at Carl, then at Vega, then sat down with his legs crossed, and continued to mutter in his mother tongue. Carl signed heavily. Whatever silent conversation had just happened between them; it seemed they¡¯d come to an agreement. Or at least some common understanding about which one of them would be the next to go. ¡°How the fuck are the two of you so calm?¡± Leticia snapped at Vega and Carl again. ¡°You barely said anything about Dervla,¡± she gestured at Vega, ¡°And the number of fucks you give about any of us,¡± she made a broad gesture to encompass the trio before pointing an accusatory finger at Carl, ¡°can be counted on the fingers of the hand you don¡¯t have!¡± His only reply to the provocation was him pressing his lips into a fine line. ¡°The Soleus muscle will always grow over the Tibialis posterior, even when the Fascia layers get misaligned. It can take minutes to hours to return to its appropriate position. Timing can be reduced by creating incisions in the Flexors hallucis and digitorumto facilitate a muscular duplex pertranseat,¡± Carl replied. His tone was neutral, in a way where it was impossible to tell if he was going for a metaphor or reciting something from yesterday¡¯s testing. Leticia gave him a confused look, but her body seemed to relax a bit as the subject had finally shifted away from the man they¡¯d never see again. ¡°Your point being?¡± She asked. For all the swearing, outbursts, and her own accounts of her life on the streets and illiteracy, she was following the medical talk perfectly well. ¡°Ah,¡± Carl ran the bottom of his palm over his short hair. It was the type of gesture one would use to chase away a migraine, and the mixture of pain and frustration that flashed over his face as he did so was the first proper emotion he¡¯d displayed in days. ¡°It¡¯s like that too,¡± he eventually continued, ¡°It grows back right. Right, Vega?¡± The switch in his choice of words made Vega lean towards the theory of him reciting something he¡¯s overheard. She would have agreed, but instead, she momentarily frowned, perplexed at the name he¡¯d used instead of hers. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t like thinking about those things,¡± She eventually replied to Leticia. ¡°It¡¯s just ¡­ um .. best not to.¡± ¡°So what, do you just sit in that corner with your head empty all day?¡± The woman scoffed. ¡°I do what they told us to do,¡± she replied. Those words felt like she should be ashamed of them, but she wasn¡¯t. Going over the skills she had, and thinking about how she could improve them was a much better pass-time than reciting law manuals in a foreign language or starting verbal fights that refused that only escalated and never resolved. Up until recently, they also had another way to kill time ¨C mostly her and Carl, and some of the others who were now gone. There was relief to be found in having full control of one¡¯s body in an intimate and sound setting. But the glass bay doors took that away from them. Surprisingly enough Leticia didn¡¯t push it further. She grumbled a few insults, directed mostly at those ¡®freaks keeping us here¡¯, and went to take her usual watch post by the glass doors. Carl silently went to the corner he¡¯d claimed as his. Vega tried to strike up a conversation with Oli, but he refused to reply in a language she understood, so she returned to her spot and started reading over her skills. The cell felt like it¡¯d shrunk by a tenfold the second they¡¯d stopped talking. Perhaps that was why Leticia was so insistent on yelling; to fill the 7-by-7-meter cube with anything other than cold air and the ghosts of those who¡¯d never return. Vega tried not to think about that. Instead, she focused on a new hand-to-hand skill that she¡¯d unlocked. She opened her stat window, and a blank note, as she tried to work out Power calculations needed for various skill combos.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Power
No skills requiring P active
P regeneration inactive
Available P:
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Conditions
Daily goals
Cellular Regeneration Active.
General Viral Resistance Active. Skill level increase in [4] days to [Mastered].
Specilised Resistance [Bacillus anthracis N-J45_kf5] Active. Skill increase in [17] days to [Trained].
Specialised Parasitic Resistance Elimination and Processing [Schistosoma haematobium] Active. Skill increase in [3] days to [Expert].
When that was done, she made a few notes predicting the decrease in skill cost with increased mastery. Before she knew it, guards came to collect her and Carl.
The ceiling in the medical wing was black, and somehow the halogen lights here did a much better job at emulating the sun, in the sense that they burned Vega¡¯s eyes. ¡°Hey,¡± She whispered to Carl, who was lying next to her. She didn¡¯t turn to look at him. She didn¡¯t want to watch as his left lung slowly regenerated outside his body. She reckoned somewhere along the line they¡¯d mixed up her injections because she¡¯d unlocked a pain resistance skill, so she didn¡¯t really feel her rib cage slowly closing on itself as all the organs removed from it were very quickly decomposing, while identical copies grew inside her. It was hard to talk with only one functional lung, but it was good practice, she tried to convince herself, as she called out again: ¡°Hey, about earlier¡­¡± Carl groaned in response. Not only was his regeneration notably slower, but he sounded like he could feel most of it. ¡°Don¡¯t talk ¡­ in front of ¡­ the cameras,¡± he managed to let out in between jagged breaths. Vega glanced to the side, where large mounted cameras were filming her open chest. She caught a glimpse of moving reds and browns, and bleached white bones slowly growing the pumping organs, and instantly returned her gaze to the ceiling, trying not to gag. Vega wanted to tell Carl that she¡¯d given it some thought, and she believed him now, about them having messed up with their brains. She didn¡¯t understand it, but it was clear she didn¡¯t experience anything the way the rest of the H-15.62 group did. She reckoned she could tell him later, so she lay in silence, trying to overhear what was happening on the other end of the two-way mirror that replaced the front wall of the room.
Hearing Increase the distance range at which sounds are perceived. Change the decibel range perceived. Duration 10 minutes, or until cancelled.
Trained
Cost: 4P per decametre distance increase beyond the base range of 15 meters. 1P per 5dB variation beyond base range of 45 to 125dB at 100 Hz. 2P to cancel.
Vega didn¡¯t fully understand what those values meant. She was given a quick run-down once after she¡¯d reported on having aquired this skill, but it hadn¡¯t been deemed as useful or desirable, so it was left at that. Yet, having spent 6P, she could just about make out the conversation. ¡°- mean, 03 is doing fine, I think we can start with the psy skills on it.¡± That was one of the doctors. The voices were just a tad too distorted for Vega to figure out if it was the shorter one, or the one with glasses. ¡°You¡¯re not touching 03,¡± A stern voice came in reply. ¡°Look at what you did to 01 with your ¡®psychic skills¡¯. There is feedback you¡¯re not accounting for.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call them that.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Psychic. It makes it sound like I¡¯m doing tarot card reads and not redefining human nature.¡± One of them scoffed. ¡°Jesus, Walter. For a second I thought you were going to say something else.¡± ¡°Can we get back on topic? We need to test the new batch of skills.¡± ¡°Yes. I can run another debug algorithm, but I still insist that 01¡¯s situation is an isolated case.¡± ¡°What about the one we had to drag out this morning?¡± ¡°Shit, that was from H-15?¡± ¡°Yeah, Oleg. And 15-07 is going insane.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t pick that one. You can¡¯t blame me for faulty sources.¡± ¡°Right, so the psy skills-¡± ¡°Walton, you are a stubborn motherfucker. But the answer is still no. Which one in that batch isn¡¯t glitching yet? Try them instead.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even want to know what you¡¯re saving 03 for, Corporal.¡± ¡°Get your mind out of the gutter Oleg.¡± A moan from Carl made Vega turn off the skill. ¡°Are you alright?¡± She asked, knowing full well the answer, but wanting to make him feel not alone. He didn¡¯t reply, verbally, or otherwise. Bracing herself for the sight, Vega turned to face him. Cold sweat was running down his body, as he tensed against the restraints that kept him on the steel table, failing to grab onto anything that would help him with the pain. His ribcage had fully closed over, and his lungs were slowly merging with it, as they returned to their initial position. When he noticed Vega staring, he turned his head. It might have been a second, or several hours, but their eyes locked, his blue and red irises piercing her black ones. He was trying to have one of those silent conversations he so often held with Oliver, but Vega wasn¡¯t getting it. He relaxed a little when his lungs returned to a position that allowed him to talk. ¡°Take care of Oliver. And don¡¯t pick fights with Leticia,¡± he said. ¡°No-¡± Vega shook her head. She repeated the word several more times, each of the monosyllables being more and more hushed by resignation. ¡°Vega,¡± He said her name wrong again, as he looked up at the ceiling, ¡°At least it¡¯s just us. They¡¯re failing,¡± he turned towards one of the cameras, ¡°This System, the skills, all of it. The human body is not meant to harbour any of it, and try as you might, I think you know. And now you¡¯re just breaking us for your own pleasure.¡± He sounded as calm as he always did. ¡°Carl,¡± Vega didn¡¯t know what to say. If he himself admitted defeat then his System would respond accordingly. Whatever was killing him, it wasn¡¯t the new skills they¡¯d tried to put in his skull. It was something that was already there, growing over thoughts and emotions, just like the muscles he was on about earlier. ¡°I hope ¨C the other place is really better,¡± Vega spoke. He hummed in reply. ¡°Goodbye Vega.¡± She didn¡¯t correct him. ¡°Goodbye, Carl.¡±
The calendar in the small office to the left of the elevator read ¡®January 2012¡¯. The day before it¡¯d read ¡®March¡¯ of the same year, so Vega wasn¡¯t fully sure how much she could trust it ¨C or her memory. A lot of redecorating and expansions were happening around the complex. Or rather ¡®komplex¡¯ as the K in O.B.E.L.I.S.K. shouted in its matte grey paint from every other white wall. Knowing why they¡¯d stopped with the medical experiments in favour of more utility- and combat-oriented ones was above Vega¡¯s station. That four-to-six-hour block in her day simply got replaced by something new. She was being taken down to one of the larger rooms that¡¯d been designated as a training ground. It was hard to see it as such, as it still had the metal toilet and sink along one of its sides that came with every identical cubic cell, but it was over twenty meters in each direction and had clearly not been made to just host other subjects. A young man with short grey hair and a small scar under his left eye, whom Vega later came to know as Lupus, was just being taken out of the training cell. With two guns pointed at him, he slowly dragged himself along, pretending that his leg injury hadn¡¯t yet fully healed. ¡°Aim for the head,¡± He whispered in a playful tone, as he passed by Vega. This earned him a hit with the butt of rifles of the guards taking him to his cell, but he scoffed it off. Professor W. Taylor, as his name badge read, was waiting for Vega by the door. He¡¯d stopped wearing his glasses roughly around the time the medical experiments stopped, and his eyes had gained that red tint that most of his subjects had. With professional disinterest, he instructed Vega: ¡°This is a test of your regenerative ability. Don¡¯t start anything and don¡¯t destroy the other subject or you will be penalised.¡±
Daily task: Demonstrate regenerative ability without destroying testing materials.
Failure Penalty
1 failed daily task. Duration: 7 days. Global 50mA Electroshock.
Vega frowned. This was the first time one of these screens had popped up after verbal orders. Usually, the daily tasks just spawned in the morning. But she didn¡¯t get the time to dwell on it, as the heavy metal doors to the training ¨C testing? ¨C room opened, and she walked through them before someone had the chance to shove her. On the other side of the room, another subject was shoved in. They were wearing an older version of the white overalls with the built-in straps and held themselves as if several of their bones were broken. Their right knee bent inwards, and their left shoulder was pushed back, out of its socket. Most of their left sleeve seemed empty, suggesting an amputation just over the elbow, which was a very common injury here. Vega presumed that the wording of her task meant that the other subject was showing their combat skills. So, she put her arms up and moved her legs into a wider, more stable, stance. Sure enough, they lunged at Vega. They ran, ignoring the twisted knee, before aiming at Vega¡¯s eyes with their nails. She hadn¡¯t really expected an unarmed attack, but she moved her arms up quickly enough to shield herself. The other subject groaned, before taking a few steps back. ¡°Hey, we can-¡± Vega barely had the time to glance at her torn sleeves, before the subject lunged at her again. The subject pinned her to the ground and growled in her face. Then, it tore her overalls and dug deep into her chest with its one good arm. It groaned and made hungry, guttural, noises as it dug deeper and deeper, pulling out bits of lungs, liver, and intestines almost as fast as they regenerated. Vega could have easily pushed him off at that time. But she¡¯d frozen. Not from the pain, which she felt as lingering discomfort or the fact that with this subject so close, she could clearly see early signs of decay on its body, but because she¡¯d recognised those mismatched blue and red eyes. Sure, they were glossy, and unmistakably dead, but also unmistakably Carl¡¯s. She called out to him. Several times. He froze, for long enough for the blood that covered his exposed hand to filly pick a direction to run down. ¡°What ¨C what did they do to you? Do you remember me? Carl?¡± Vega muttered. She also wanted to tell him to get off her, and that they could pretend-fight for the rest of whatever this was, but something inside her screamed that he couldn¡¯t understand her. He tilted his head. He softly groaned. He took a big swing at Vega¡¯s throat. When her blood mixed with the residues and fluids on his hand, she finally pushed him off, and spun around, vomiting on the floor. She pressed a hand over her throat, trying to speed the regeneration along so that she wouldn¡¯t taste her own insides, nor watch them pour out of her severed oesophagus. Carl waited. What for, neither he nor Vega could tell. But the second he lounged at her again, she swept her leg under him, causing him to topple over. ¡°Carl, please, umm, say anything other than a groan,¡± she pleaded. He growled, getting up and running at her with the intent to swipe at her head with his claws again. ¡°Or blink. Three times. Look at me and blink,¡± she begged, as took a step to the side, dodging him. He almost fell to the ground again, managing to regain balance with a big swing of his arm at the last second. Then, he ran at Vega. She maintained eye contact. For as long as she could, her red eyes started into his mismatched blue and red. His teeth came within millimetres of Vega¡¯s neck.
Serpent¡¯s Strike Hardens the side of the palm, and allows to quickly, unpredictably, horizontally, move it towards a target in direct range in a controlled manner.
Mastered
Cost: 1P per use.
Daily task Failed
She hit hard enough to damage the muscles in his neck. She took a few steps back, covering her mouth with her hands. She didn¡¯t know what to do next. She was scared of what would happen to Carl next. What else they¡¯d do to him. She was scared of what they¡¯d do to her, and to every single subject here who¡¯d outlived their use.
Applying Penalty in 5 seconds.
She took a deep breath and knelt by Carl. He kicked her, and dug his hand deep into her arm. She lifted his head, as he growled, and tried to push her away. Vega closed her eyes.
Strength Increase Temporarily increases the user''s muscle power.
Trained
Cost: 3P for a maximum of 15 minutes, granting an increase of up to 75% in effective strength output.
She smashed his head into the concrete ground. The pain from the electroshock overwrote her skills and paralysed her, thankfully before she could she what she¡¯d done to her friend. Chapter 7 - An Empty Motorway During the next few days the subject of OBELISK never really got brought up again. It was a weird partnership the two women had found themselves in. Farrah wasn¡¯t sure what Vega was getting out of it, as more often than not she was the one who did most kills, and most of the scavenging. And for Farrah herself, there wasn¡¯t much to be gained either, other than some spared ammo, and a few hours of looting here and there. They¡¯d left Sambourough proper four days after their meeting and were steadily heading South, into Aireshire. In that time, they¡¯d stocked up on the essentials: cans, energy bars, and cigarettes. Farrah was carrying most of it, save for a tote bag of dry food, and 2 2.5 litre bottles of flat water, so perhaps what Vega was getting out of this travel arrangement was access to Farrah¡¯s hiking rucksack. The day was growing old, and the isolated trees alongside the rolling, overgrown, fields on both sides of the motorway cast long shadows over eight empty lanes. It was getting noticeably colder, as the percentage of asphalt-covered surface decreased. Even the occasional car carcass seemed smaller and less oppressive than its city counterparts. Unlike those in central Sambourough, these vehicles held no judgment over those they shared the roads with. They didn¡¯t blame either woman for their untimely demise, as they rested, their leather and canvas interiors long free of blood, and now serving as a refuge to small animals.
Domain Entered: Lonely
Pinned notes available. Display notes?
Yes No
¡°Bip,¡± Farrah announced, dismissing the screen. ¡°Huh?¡± Vega turned around, confused. ¡°Bip,¡± Farrah repeated. It was common curtesy among Collectors to notify each other when a System notification appeared.
Domain Goal Kill 500 small-swarm enemy type within 15 minutes of entering the domain. Kill 100 standard enemy type within 30 minutes of entering the domain. Kill 5 unique enemies within 3 hours of entering the domain and without spending Power.
Reward
Domain mastery increase to Expert Permanent bonus: All dependant skills for all physical skills are discovered, and acquired at untrained level. Mastery of already discovered dependant skills increases by 1 mastery level without penalties.
Accept
Yes No
¡°That¡¯s actually a good quest for you,¡± Farrah spoke, having read the description. ¡°Well, it¡¯s near impossible, but we can grind. I tried this one 7 times already, then I decided to set it aside to when I get my swimming and climbing at Expert.¡± Vega didn¡¯t respond, and Farrah was quickly hit with a realisation. ¡°Oh, did you get the radius "ultrakill" quest? I got the timed one. The 500 in 15, 100 in 30, and 5 in 180.¡± Vega thought for a second, glancing to the floor like she did when she came up with one of her very mediocre lies. Farrah used that time to reject the domain quest. She would have liked to get it for the passive bonuses, but this one was a particularly hard one to grind. The Lonely domain was by far the safest, due to how few zombies resided in it, and how spread out they were. This didn¡¯t mean that the creatures hadn¡¯t mutated to adapt to these vast fields and grasslands, but one had to really try to gather a swarm, which paradoxically also made this domain one of the hardest to master. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Vega eventually replied. Her tone was between apologetic and annoyed, making her that much harder to read. Farrah played with her cross, as she thought about how best to reply to this. Now that they were out here, where grass slowly fought to overtake the asphalt of a single deserted motorway that ran into the fog-engulfed horizon, they were stuck together proper. Farrah nodded to herself, having made a mental of things to bring up before she nodded at Vega to follow. ¡°Will you be travelling with me to Glenwick?¡± Farrah started.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°I don¡¯t like where this line of questioning is going¡­¡± Vega sighed. ¡°There¡¯s only been one question,¡± Farrah dryly chucked, more so on reflex than out of genuine amusement at the sarcasm. ¡°Okay, listen, us Collectors, we build our relationships on trust. Trust not only to not shoot each other in the head during the night, or not to steal supplies that weren¡¯t shared, but also the smaller things.¡± ¡°If you want me to go-¡± ¡°There¡¯s nowhere to go really, anymore,¡± Farrah turned towards the other woman, lips pressed into a tight smile. ¡°So to not make the next two weeks extremely awkward, I would like you to stop lying to me about every other thing,¡± She sighed. She wanted to add that half-truths were no better, and that she wanted direct replies, especially when the System or quests were involved, but if she was going to demand something, she preferred it to be something she could actually get. They walked in silence for several minutes. Vega was thinking it over, and Farrah was waiting for an answer, but the growing agitation of the other woman, which slowly escalated from small hand movements to fidgeting with the straps on her wrists, faded onto Farrah. She clicked her cigarette tin open, and lit one, angrily exhaling the first puff. Then more calmly inhaling the next. ¡°Okay,¡± Vega nervously replied. ¡°What do you want to know? Is it about ¡­ umm¡­ what you found in the data centre? About OBELISK?¡± Farrah hummed, taking a long drag, and trying not to blow too much smoke into Vega¡¯s face before replying. ¡°No, I think I got all I could from there. Among the useful stuff, I found that OBELISK, ¡®Omni-Biological Experimentation and Lifeform Integration Systems Komplex¡¯ was a military-sponsored scientific project that made,¡± She gestured around, making all 4 of her screens appear in front of her, ¡°this. But nothing there said why they started it, why they forced it onto-¡± She did not like that word choice, but it had come out too fast. She tried to be considerate because hers and Vega¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t the same, but the System took much from her, and the anger from that was palpable in her voice, ¡°onto all of us, why they killed so many people with it. Good folk, people whose sole crime was having too much of their life ahead of them, or not being old enough to understand-¡± She cut herself off, taking another deep drag of the thick smoke. Vega didn¡¯t need to hear about Farrah¡¯s family. That was also an unspoken rule between Collectors. Whatever happened before or during the Fall, it was all in the past. It had shaped them, sure, just like the System shaped its own unholy creations, but what mattered was that Farrah hadn¡¯t died then, and she couldn¡¯t die now. ¡°So, umm, did not find anything else there?¡± Vega asked. ¡°No, nothing useful in the files. There were too many to go through.¡± Farrah lied, having picked up on the undertones of the question. ¡°So what do you want me to be honest with then?¡± Vega sounded genuinely perplexed. Farrah shrugged, making a ¡®I don¡¯t know noise¡¯. She squished the cigarette bud on the asphalt, before giving a proper reply: ¡°The bips, domains, skills, all that stuff is really important to me.¡± Vega was about to reply, but Farrah cut her off, turning towards her. ¡°And the other thing, are you actually amnesiac?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Vega made the face of someone who was about to lie, then remembered they just promised not to. ¡°I genuinely don¡¯t know what you mean every time you go on these rambles about goals, levels, skills, domains, or monsters.¡± She glanced to the side. They¡¯d long since stopped in their tracks, and Farrah used this pause in the argument to scan the surrounding area. ¡°Okay, I know about skills. But the rest I really don¡¯t. And not because I forgot, but because I ¡­ just don¡¯t,¡± She made it sound almost like a question. Farrah hummed. That sounded impossible, considering the ridged rules around the System itself, but Vega¡¯s tone was genuine for once, so she accepted it as fact. ¡°I can explain the terminology, that¡¯s fine.¡± Vega squinted. ¡°Why would you?¡± Farrah made another confused sound, and shrug combo. She didn¡¯t really know herself. Because it was the correct thing to do? The polite and Christian thing her parents had raised her to do? ¡°Let¡¯s put this a different way, why don¡¯t you trust me?¡± Farrah asked. Vega raised an eyebrow, pressing a corner of her lips up. ¡°I do?¡± ¡°Yeah, and I do too,¡± Farrah replied with a half-lie. She trusted Vega less than some Collectors she¡¯d only talked to for a handful of hours. But it was Vega who held leads to the OBELISK, and it was Vega who was going to travel with her for the next few weeks. ¡°I will be honest, I would trust you more if you explained the amnesia situation.¡± Farrah insisted on her main point of contention. Vega sighed. She fidgeted with her straps again, and Farrah decided it would be as good of a time as any to start walking again. ¡°I don¡¯t remember the past ¡­ okay, I don¡¯t know how many weeks. I don¡¯t remember when this happened,¡± she made a small gesture over her shoulder, waving twice at the concrete carcass of civilisation they''d left behind. ¡°There are some pieces missing from earlier too, but okay, fair enough, I did lie about losing my memories after a monster attack.¡± Farrah wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d heard that right. She was about to ask where the woman had been to have missed the end of the world, but the answer to that was pretty obvious. She didn¡¯t want to reopen that wound, especially now after having lied about Vega¡¯s file. ¡°What year do you last remember it being?¡± She asked instead, as she reached for her tin. ¡°2013. I don¡¯t know the month. They, umm, I think they messed with the calendar on purpose. So I, umm,¡± she glanced at the cigarette Farrah had just pulled out. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be rationing those?¡± Farrah groaned a resigned ¡®yeah¡¯ and put the tin away. She didn¡¯t want to though. But she reckoned she could smoke a bit during her night watch shift. ¡°You were saying?¡± ¡°Right, 2013, plus a few months after that,¡± She paused, then squinted at Farrah in a concerned way, ¡°We are in, umm, sometime around that, right? It¡¯s not, umm, like 1756 or 3097, right?¡± Farrah chucked. Then she realised where the question was coming from. ¡°It¡¯s 2016 now,¡± She replied. ¡°September ¨C October. I guess it¡¯s too warm for October. And the last horde wave was in May, which was three week-ish ago¡­ Wait,¡± The math of it all caught up to Farrah, and she realised how wrong she¡¯d been this whole time to assume that summer was over, when in fact it was only beginning. ¡°So June.¡± She concluded because she wanted to give a proper reply to Vega. But damn, was it cold and miserable for early- to mid-June. She wondered, for the first time since the winter snow had melted only a month or so before that horde wave in May, what exactly had happened in the world. The word ¡®climate change¡¯ was thrown around a lot on news stations before the Fall, but it was typically followed with warnings about warming and mountain-ice melting. Not a six-month winter, and a summer that felt like autumn. ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ umm,¡± Vega seemed to be lost in thoughts of her own. ¡°If we cross paths with someone who keeps track of the days we can ask,¡± Farrah continued. ¡°I just don¡¯t see much point in it myself. It¡¯s not really like we celebrate Easter anymore¡­¡± ¡°So, umm, I don¡¯t know what that is either,¡± Vega shyly spoke. It was as if she was testing if this was what Farrah had meant earlier about not lying about things. ¡°It¡¯s a religious holiday, that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.¡± It was clear from Vega¡¯s expression that the explanation hadn¡¯t been sufficient, but Farrah knew an atheist when she saw one, and she wasn¡¯t in the mood for the ¡®how would God allow this?¡¯ conversation. So instead, she changed the topic to finding shelter, and soon the women had left the motorway, just as the sun began to set. Chapter 8 - Strangers Town ¡°Ready to go?¡± Vega asked, as she put out the remains of fire they¡¯d used to cook breakfast stew. It couldn¡¯t really be called porridge anymore when it was made with a water base, and had mystery roots ¨C most likely wild potatoes ¨C and hare meat added to it. The Lonely domain proved to be a much better host to the two women, as between their poison-resistance skills, healing, and the abundant wildlife that¡¯d reclaimed the rolling fields, food stopped being an issue. Shelter was harder to come by, but so were mutated undead that no longer came knocking at one¡¯s window in the dead of night. Camping in forested areas often sufficed as cover from the flying zombies. On the handful of days where when the women encountered nothing but hedges and dirt roads they had to cosy up under Farrah¡¯s sports-store camo cover that they stretched over them. But today was not one of those days. They¡¯d found a thick patch of forest three days ago and had used the opportunity to set camp and stock up on jerky. Funnily enough, the only enemy they fought in those three days was a family of boars who had smelled the cooking and had promptly become the next batch. ¡°There¡¯s ¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Farrah made no effort to get up. She was studying her map, zooming in and out of the peripheral areas.
Scan - Directional - Horizontal - Point-Source; Not-Self. Cost: 1P per 500m radius from focal point. 1P per 1km difference between user and source, up to a maximum of 55 km.
And sure enough, there it blinked again. An orange dot that disappeared as soon as Farrah saw it. It was over 15 kilometres northwest of their current position, but the worrying thing was that it¡¯d always been in the 13 to 20 km range from them and that it always vanished as soon as Farrah scanned it. ¡°Fuck,¡± Farrah swore, jumping up and grabbing her Steyr AUG. ¡°Huh?¡±
Aim Assist Projectiles automatically hit a selected target with known position.
Expert
Cost: 5P per projectile.
Domain benefit: Distance and attunement skill restrictions removed. 85% chance of casting dependant skill [Blast - Force] instead.
Caliber Change Modified the bullet diameter without modifying the ammunition of a firearm.
Trained
Cost: 2P per 5 mm of bore diameter increase.
Domain benefit: Attunement skill restrictions removed. 5% chance of casting dependant skill [Blast - Force] instead.
Five shots echoed through the empty woodland. Vega startled, covering her ears, as she glanced in the direction the rifle was aimed at. There was nothing she could make out through the canopy, and based on the low angle of the weapon, whatever it¡¯d just hit was a fair distance away. ¡°Flyers,¡± Farrah explained. ¡°You could have given me a heads up.¡± ¡°I did,¡± Farrah chucked at the pouting expression Vega made. ¡°You said ¡®fuck¡¯ and started shooting¡­¡± Farrah chuckled. ¡°The flying zombies are fast. And they were in the direction we¡¯re heading,¡± Farrah shrugged. She didn¡¯t really feel bad for the lack of warning. One of the things she¡¯d learnt about Vega in the past weeks was that she had enhanced reflexes and that she would have seen Farrah reach for her gun in slow motion, then glance over the skill bips, and only then fire. ¡°We need to talk about my mini-map,¡± Farrah continued, as she finished packing jerky into her rucksack. ¡°About how I don¡¯t show up on it?¡± Vega asked. Farrah nodded. ¡°Still.¡± She gave the circle of rocks that held burnt wood and ash one last glance-over, before scanning the area and leading the way. ¡°What does show up is a zombie, about a dozen kilometres North of us. It has been blinking there every time I scanned, but I can¡¯t get its type, and it doesn¡¯t show up on the global raster map.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t-¡± ¡°A raster map-¡± ¡°No, what I wanted to say is that it¡¯s not very likely one of those monsters is smart enough to follow us,¡± Vega cut Farrah off before. Another habit Farrah had picked up is explaining terminology. Vega tolerated it when it related to the System, but frustration in her tone was very evident now. ¡°How long has it, umm, been doing that?¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Just over a week,¡± Farrah replied. ¡°At first, I thought it was a swarm, hiding under the motorway. But that would have been impossible on the dirt roads, and I did several vertical scans to check.¡± ¡°And are you sure it¡¯s there?¡± Vega asked. She wasn¡¯t doubting Farrah, but it was clear she trusted the System more. ¡°Is that what you were shooting at yesterday?¡± Farran nodded. ¡°Then it disappeared, until I saw it again this morning, this time further away. I can¡¯t be sure it¡¯s the same zombie, but I¡¯m not sure what else it could be.¡± ¡°Sorry. I wish I could be more help with this¡­¡± Vega replied, her lips pressed together into an apologetic shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t like whatever that is. Maybe it¡¯s part of someone¡¯s quest¡­¡± Farrah reached for her tin, lighting a cigarette. They passed five deformed corpses about an hour and a half after leaving the woodland. Vega stopped to observe them for a few seconds. She looked at the thin layer of skin that grew between their overly long clawed arms and their torso like someone who¡¯d never seen a flying zombie before. Even spread out on the ground, with coin-sized holes through their hairy heads, the thick grey skin that extended over their slim bones and tendons made them look eerie. A raven suddenly landed at the scene, and hopped to one of the corpses, before glancing at the women, as if asking them if they¡¯d like the first pick. Farrah took this as an invitation to keep moving. It seemed uncaring for the weapons she carried or the raw power of the woman walking next to her. Once the bird considered them out of reach, it started peeling the skin off an exit wound. Soon, it took off, chunks of black and grey brains in its beak.
¡°How do I look?¡± Vega asked, adjusting the rectangular aviator-type sunglasses over her eyes. ¡°Cute,¡± Farrah lied. Not only did the sunglasses not suit Vega in the slightest, but Farrah wasn¡¯t sure her eyes were the issue. They¡¯d met with a few Collectors about halfway through their journey, which was also where they¡¯d traded for the sunglasses, and that weary feeling everyone had around Vega simply went away after a few hours. Farrah suspected it was some sort of skill, although she¡¯d yet to see a skill that automatically activated under external conditions. Either way, no one was going to try anything in a keep, beyond giving them weird looks. ¡°I don¡¯t like how they feel,¡± Vega continued, as she took the glasses off to move out short strands of hair out of the way behind her ear, before putting them on again. ¡°Can you still see?¡± ¡°Yeah, I can see in full darkness anyway, I just don¡¯t, umm, they might be too small¡­¡± Farrah stopped in her tracks. Mostly to get the full extent of her surprise across. ¡°What?¡± Vega turned around, looking at her through those ridiculously large black lenses that somehow didn¡¯t match any of the black straps of her outfits, both in shade and shape. ¡°You need to stop with these lore drops,¡± Farrah shook her head, forcing an amused smile. It was unnerving. Which further went to show that Vega¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t the reason people got weary of her. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean. You never asked,¡± She sounded almost dejected. With the town in sight, they continued their banter until the concrete road under their feet became dirt, and they reached the rows of barbed wire, nail-covered planks, and a five-meter-deep trench that ran further than they could see, on either end of the town. Here and there, the remnants of an attempt at a fortified wall could still be seen. Houses had been demolished, and piles of bricks, roofing, and rain-soaked wood barricaded a selected few streets. It was hard to tell what the idea here had been; if it was to funnel zombies into an easily defendable part of town, or if they¡¯d planned on a town-wide barricade all along. Either way, the lack of destruction and mutated bones embedded into the sides of the intact buildings testified to the fact that they¡¯d succeeded at neither. This was one of the many settlements that had to migrate during Horde Waves, and the windy historic layout of Glenwick was to blame. Asphalt appeared again, from under the dust and dirt, deposited over the streets for a reason lost alongside those who¡¯d created the failed fortifications, and the women approached a crossroads. A large blue sign stood at the corner of one of the streets, and directed them to motorways and to neighbouring towns with lichen-covered white arrows. Under it, someone had attached green and yellow ribbons through unevenly drilled holes. They swayed silently in the wind, their movements slow and small, typical of moist rotting fabric. Having started at the sign for long enough, Vega continued walking. ¡°Wait,¡± Farrah grabbed her hand. ¡°It¡¯s common courtesy to wait to be invited in.¡± ¡°Into what? That¡¯s just a street.¡± Farrah pressed her lips together and shrugged. Usually, there was more of a wall, and more guards. But her scan showed two little blue dots approaching, so it wasn¡¯t going to be long. ¡°I¡¯m not infected, come on, I¡¯ve been here for days!¡± A woman¡¯s voice, annoyed and loud, echoed through the empty street. ¡°Lord knows where you¡¯ve been, duck, just quarantine yourself until tomorrow noon, and all will be sorted,¡± a resigned male voice came in reply, just as both he and the woman he was escorting out turned a corner and came into view. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me, mate!¡± The woman continued to complain. She was a bit older than Farrah, maybe in her early thirties, and had brown hair with noticeable steaks of grey. She wore a crocheted cardigan and a long layered light dress. In one hand, she was holding a crocheted beanie, and in the other a bolt-action hunting rifle. She was too far away to make out the make. ¡°Only because I haven¡¯t completed some horse-arse task? Can¡¯t you just take my word for it? It¡¯s been literal days!¡± The man was in his early twenties. Unkempt blond hair fell over his eyes, and he wore a plain blue t-shirt with reflective patches sewn in two fine strips along the shoulders. More likely than not, that was what passed for a guard¡¯s uniform in this keep. He tried to remain calm, but his expression said more than enough about where and how deep he wanted to shove the Glock 17 currently resting in a harness under his arm. ¡°You get a lot of traffic here?¡± Farrah asked, resting her right hand in her trousers¡¯ pocket, and her left not too far away from the grip of her pistol. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s literally me, and he¡¯s being such a fucking ass about it!¡± The woman exclaimed as she stormed off past Farrah. ¡°Cunt.¡± She muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear, before taking a right, and slamming the door of a house that she¡¯d properly designated as her hotel. The door slammed a second time, and silence returned. ¡°We¡¯re Collectors, passing through,¡± Farrah returned her attention to the man. ¡°I can tell,¡± He nodded at Vega. ¡°So, we¡¯ve had issues recently with visitors hurting themselves and having to get quarantined. When you come in, we do have someone who will test you for the viral immunity skill,¡± He spoke. He had the tone of someone who was very fed up with explaining the same elementary concept over and over. Vega glanced at Farrah, raising one questioning eyebrow. Farrah glanced back at Vega, asking her if she had that skill with a silent nod. Vega¡¯s expression grew even more confused. ¡°Do you have the immunity skill?¡± Farrah asked, not too happy about the keeper hearing that. ¡°Which one?¡± Vega asked in turn. ¡°The one from getting one of the bugs inside you, and then burning a luck point to heal over it.¡± Farrah said it matter-of-factly, but she felt the side of her leg twitch as she did so. She remembered all too well trying to get the cursed thing out of her thigh afterwards. Thankfully she was high on a custom mix of ¡°whatever the pharmacy had¡± and didn¡¯t remember most of it, but according to the Collectors with whom she¡¯d done the quest, there was a lot of screaming, blood, and vomit. The worst part was doing it again, sober, with bone chunks from a heavy, to increase the mastery. Thankfully the requirement for the mastery levels did not include the words ¡®fully enclose¡¯ in their description. ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Vega replied. ¡°I have the general parasitic and viral resistances at Expert. And most, I think, umm, of the specific ones? I can check.¡± ¡°You will still have to stop by Jess anyway,¡± The man rolled his eyes. He looked at them with mild disdain, having taken their exchange as bragging. ¡°Alright,¡± Farrah shrugged. ¡°So, Jess, the nurse I presume? We also have some supplies to trade in, and information to trade for.¡± ¡°The market closes at 4,¡± the keeper replied, ¡°There are a few more of you, Collectors, in town at the moment. They¡¯ll probably be at the Fowls, a pub by the chapel. You can¡¯t really miss it, but if you need someone to take you there, I¡¯m on shift till nightfall, and then look for someone with one of these,¡± he tapped the reflective stripes on his t-shirt, ¡°will take over.¡± ¡°Sir,¡± Vega acknowledged, while Farrah silently nodded. The man gestured for them to follow. Farrah gave Vega one last encouraging nod, and they followed suit.
Domain Entered: Heaven
No pinned notes available.
Chapter 9 - The Resident Crazy-man Vega had the strangest sense of deja-vu, as she glanced around the old brick buildings that surrounded the marketplace. Farrah was bartering with a stall-keeper over some consumables, so Vega took the opportunity to stroll around. There was a dry fountain in the middle of the marketplace, that had probably once been a park. The small exposed metal pipes at the bottom of the fountain looked strange; as if they should be more finished - polished, ornate - but had been left as sawn-off chunks of metal because that was the extent of their function. An argument broke out on the edge of the market. Something about someone wasting someone¡¯s time, and having no tradables to offer. No one seemed to react, or even notice it, and Vega was about to return to her silent observation of her surroundings, to try and force some memories to resurface, but two of the three voices involved in the argument grew more threatening, while the other became more desperate. ¡°Hey,¡± Farrah approached Vega, bag of grains and herbs in one hand, long white rain jacket draped over the other. The argument grew more distant. Vega glanced at Farrah, hoping to get an answer about whether they should get involved. Farrah tilted her head in reply, not picking up on the question. ¡°Umm, I think someone is getting, umm, beat up over there,¡± She made a small gesture pointing towards where the argument had taken place. ¡°In a keep?¡± Farrah didn¡¯t sound like she believed it. But she swung the jacket in her hands over her shoulder and unholstered her pistol before nodding for Vega to lead the way. She hopped off the edge of the fountain, and they both jogged towards the edge of the park-turned-market, where asphalt took over the trampled grass and gravel-covered mud. When Vega glanced back at Farrah, she saw the woman reading something off a System screen, no doubt checking a scan. She did raise her eyes when she finally heard the arguing voices too. ¡°You do this once a month, don¡¯t you realise we have actual tasks to complete?¡± A male voice came from further down the street. A woman hastily walked past Vega and Farrah, glancing back like someone who didn¡¯t want to get involved. ¡°All I was saying-¡± Another male voice got cut off by the sound of a punch. The two women rushed to the scene, without even exchanging a glance. They turned a corner and were faced with a trio of people. A tall blonde man in a casual outdoors outfit similar to Farrah¡¯s was holding a shorter blond man, with his arms under his armpits, pinning him to his chest. Opposite him, stood the one who threw the punch. He was bald, the recently shaven kind, with a ginger moustache and beard, and was wearing a long sailor¡¯s raincoat over sports shorts and a tank top. ¡°Hey!¡± Farrah called out, ¡°Let the keeper go, Brant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not holding the keeper?¡± The bald one replied. He wanted to come off as haughty, but there was a touch of nervousness in his voice. ¡°Piss off.¡± The tall blond added. He didn¡¯t even look at the woman. The man who was being held down gave the two women a pleading look. He looked like he¡¯d survive a few more punches until the duo got bored, but he clearly didn¡¯t want to be there. A few locks fell out of his messy bun as he turned his head. Vega noted that he had unusually long hair for a man. ¡°Sorry, babes,¡± Farrah ran her hand through her hair before tossing her pistol into her good hand, and levelling it at Brant¡¯s abdomen, ¡°Do you want me to rephrase that?¡± ¡°Oh, come on Farrah, don¡¯t be like that,¡± Brant put his hands up, moving his left hand dangerously close to the rifle hanging over his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re not gonna make a scene over some keeper, are we?¡± ¡°You two know each other?¡± The tall blond asked. Farrah shrugged. ¡°If I knew you were a bully, Brant, I wouldn¡¯t have helped you with your Last Stand quest,¡± Farrah lowered her gun. Vega¡¯s gaze travelled between Farrah and Brant. They were saying things to each other, with barely perceptible movements of their hands, little nods, and twitches of the mouth. ¡°Hey, hey, what;s going on?¡± ¡°Let go of the keeper, Keith,¡± Brant gestured, before turning to look at the long-haired man, ¡°We¡¯re not doing this today, but if you bother us, or them,¡± he gestured at the women, ¡°with your pathetic, underpaid, fetch quest, ever again, next time our talk will involve less talking and more burning your house down.¡± Keith pushed the other blond aside. He regained his balance easily enough and pretended to brush dust off his shoulders where he¡¯d been held. Then, he scoffed: ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try. You¡¯re not gonna make it past the next Horde wave. Half your domains are Untrained, and your muscle doesn¡¯t have a build.¡± Brant gave Farrah an undecipherable look, and Farrah shrugged. ¡°He¡¯ll be just fine,¡± Farrah told the keeper, before turning to her acquittance, ¡°Unless you continue to threaten to burn keepers'' houses down. Then you might find yourself short on allies.¡± ¡°Come on, Farrah,¡± He scoffed, ¡°He got Dom and his mates killed. Isn¡¯t that right, keeper?¡± The man opened his mouth, trying to think of something to reply. He didn¡¯t look like the type who¡¯d purposefully hurt anyone. Vega saw some of her old squad members in him, bursting out when cornered, but decent folk overall. She frowned, as she failed to recall more than vague silhouettes of people with the same grey haircut as her. One of them had a scar under his eye, she was pretty certain¡­ ¡°He¡¯s also an ass,¡± Keith added. ¡°Every time we stop by, he harasses us to get some files from some facility. Magic rock this, magic rock that¡­¡± ¡°OBELISK,¡± The keeper corrected under his breath. ¡°The fact that he¡¯s worthless in combat too,¡± Keith continued, ¡°and has less of the one-time quests unlocked than me, and I¡¯ve only been Collecting for five months. The prick had the audacity to ask,¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, let¡¯s go get a pint,¡± Brant interrupted, before tugging on Keith¡¯s long-sleeved t-shirt, and walking away. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around Farrah.¡± Farrah hummed. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to be Daniel, would you?¡± She turned towards the keeper. He raised both eyebrows, surprised, before taking a few steps back. The movement was meant to be a defensive one, but between Vega¡¯s speed and Farrah¡¯s firearms, which had both long since returned to their holsters, it didn¡¯t really make sense. ¡°We¡¯re also looking for OBELISK,¡± Farrah continued before he could speak. ¡°Then let¡¯s not talk here,¡± He stated, ¡°I have a house on the west end of town, we can meet there after sunset.¡± ¡°Uh-uh,¡± She nodded, thinking it over. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll see you there,¡± She concluded with a nod, as she glanced slightly to the side, where her map usually appeared. ¡°Wait,¡± He seemed to have caught up to what Farrah had done, ¡°You can¡¯t just track me! What are you even using?¡± He read something off a screen of his own, ¡°Hit Mark, seriously?¡± Vega was trying to piece together his build. He carried a crowbar in a custom fabric and zip-tie holster on his belt and no long-range weapons. He didn¡¯t master most, if any, of the physical skills. That much was obvious from how he¡¯d moved, and the fact that he¡¯d gotten restrained like that in the first place. Her theory about him having access to the Tech branch of the Utility skill tree was further confirmed when a notification popped up in front of her.
User [Vega] has been set as target of [System Breach] at mastery [Expert]. Reject intrusion?
Yes [Cost: 5P] NoThe tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Elif: Partially accept, with selected shared data?
Yes [Cost 15P] No
Elif: Counter with [System Breach] at mastery [Trained]?
Yes No
¡°Well, that way if you try something against us, like Brant was suggesting, I¡¯ll have some extra leverage,¡± Farrah replied, seemingly unaware of the breach. But Daniel¡¯s face had already twisted into weariness bordering on fear. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at 8,¡± He spoke, reading over the skills he¡¯d unethically discovered, ¡°I think, ¡­¡± He looked up at Farrah, then gave Vega an equally worried glance, ¡°You won¡¯t have any trouble finding me at least,¡± He hastily walked off. ¡°Damn,¡± Farrah swore, ¡°He is, well, I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to call him an ass, but he¡¯s giving off weird karma, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°He just used a Breach skill on both of us,¡± Vega stated. ¡°Well, umm, on me for sure at least¡­¡± Farrah¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°Okay, maybe he is a bit of an ass¡­¡± She spoke, checking her stat windows. ¡°Do you mean ¡®System Breach¡¯? I presume you have it too then?¡± ¡°Yes. What will we do now? He has a tactical advantage over you.¡± Farrah hummed, as she thought it over. ¡°I don¡¯t think he does.¡± She eventually replied. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to wait and see what his connection to OBELISK is, but push comes to shove, we can always continue the quest without him.¡± Vega frowned. ¡°I thought, umm, this quest was very important to you. You would give up on your main lead just like that?¡± Farrah shrugged; a corner of her lips pressed into a smirk. The metal piercing in her cheek glistened when she moved her lips. ¡°You¡¯re my main lead,¡± She nodded at Vega with a smile. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go grab a pint with the two wankers. We need to get more info on Daniel.¡± Vega followed along with a nod, as she nervously tugged on those obnoxious straps that ran around her arms. Perhaps she could have been of actual help to Farrah if not for her memory loss. And she didn¡¯t agree with the woman¡¯s laid-back attitude to finding the OBELISK. It¡¯s not that Vega wanted to go back, but that was the only proper bond she had; that she¡¯d ever had. So she needed to at least know what OBELISK was doing now, where her squad mates ¨C whose names she couldn¡¯t quite recall ¨C were, if nothing else to help them escape the organisation like she had. Well, to convince Farrah to help them, because Vega wasn¡¯t sure what she could or would do in this situation full of unknowns.
They were hit with a wave of darkness and a gust of cold wind when they stepped out of the pub, which despite being referred to by everyone as ¡®Fowls¡¯, was called ¡®The Stag and the Crow¡¯. The greys of the outside world were further discoloured and muddled by Vega¡¯s sunglasses. Nothing that would actually impair her skills, but enough to get on her nerves. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Farrah asked, as she turned on her flashlight and started walking down the deserted streets. ¡°About?¡± ¡°What we¡¯ve talked about with the guys. Can we trust him?¡± Vega wasn¡¯t sure why Farrah was asking for her opinion. Perhaps she¡¯d picked up on her discontent earlier. But she wasn¡¯t going to voice that. ¡°No,¡± She honestly replied. ¡°If we trust your friends, then Daniel is unreliable at best, or a saboteur. I think it will cost too much information to fully buy his trust. But we do need his help. Your friends might not have known about the, umm, servers, but they practically confirmed that he knows an outpost location.¡± Farrah hummed in acknowledgement. She¡¯d slowed down her pace, and then took a turn into a street that Vega was certain would lead them to the town centre. ¡°I think¡­¡± She reached for her tin and pulled out one of five remaining cigarettes. The flame of her lighter briefly illuminated her face, as she looked up to the cloud-covered night sky. She seemed lost in thought, with an impossible-to-name expression painted on her face. It was almost akin to nostalgia, but with something stronger, something sacred, added to it. She inhaled that toxic smoke, and started walking again, as she spoke, ¡°I think we need to be more trusting of people. Facts of the matter are, we don¡¯t know what really happened to that group of Collectors. They could have run off, they could have gotten ambushed. They chose to help Daniel out, he didn¡¯t hold them at gunpoint.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what skills he has. He could have forced them to.¡± ¡°Well, we can agree to disagree. I don¡¯t think he killed them. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s capable of that.¡± She inhaled more of the smoke. It wasn¡¯t that the smell bothered Vega, but she worried for Farrah¡¯s health. If there was one thing she¡¯d learned about the woman ¨C through verbal accounts, not first-hand experience - it''s that she didn¡¯t have any type of passive regeneration, and could only heal serious injuries by using up one of her luck points. Slow organ degradation through prolonged exposure to chemicals did not fall under that skill. ¡°You¡¯ve met him once. I,¡± Vega sighed, ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, I really do, I promise, and you¡¯re right that we need him, but I don¡¯t want him to have too much,¡± it took her a second to find the correct synonym for ¡®power¡¯, ¡°hold over us.¡± Farrah nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s keep you out of the story. You are an amnesiac Collector, and you¡¯ve decided to help me on my quest because we went to the same secondary school.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± That was not the cover story Vega would have gone with. There were too many holes in it, mostly coming from the fact that she¡¯d never been to secondary school. ¡°He¡¯ll have no way of verifying that,¡± Farrah replied. ¡°If he can breach into our Systems, he¡¯ll know only I have the OBELISK quest, so we can¡¯t use that as an excuse. And the amnesia needs to stay in,¡± She looked at Vega with an amused smile, ¡°For obvious reasons.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Vega reluctantly agreed. After extinguishing it on the ground, Farrah put the cigarette bud in her pocket, and they circled around the pub once more, this time continuing straight ahead. Two minutes later, Farrah knocked on the door of a two-storey house with a weathered beige fa?ade. It looked almost identical to the houses on either side, if not for a stripped blue and white flag hanging from the second-storey window of the house to the right, and the house to the left being in much worse shape. Shuffling came from behind the door, before Daniel opened it.
¡°Come on in,¡± he gestured to the women, as he led them into his home. ¡°Shoes off, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± He added, before vanishing through a door on the left of the entryway, ¡°Tea?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Farrah agreed. ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± His voice came from the kitchen, followed by the click of an electric kettle being turned on. ¡°That¡¯s two teas, thanks,¡± Farrah replied, as she began undoing the shoelaces on her hiking boots. The inside of the house was a good deal cosier than what one would assume from the state of the peeling paint and overgrown parking spot on its outside. ¡°Milk? Sugar?¡± ¡°Where do you even have milk from? I won¡¯t say no to that.¡± Farrah replied, before heading to the living room. ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up, it¡¯s the one in packets,¡± Daniel replied, briefly popping in the doorway to show them two plastic sachets. Farrah shrugged in agreement, and Vega passed. She left her black boots of inexplicable construction next to Farrah¡¯s, letting black buckles and pieces of synthetic material unfold like two blooming flowers, and followed her in. ¡°Huh, this is ¡­ a lot,¡± Vega spoke as she entered the living room. Clearly, the place had been re-arranged somewhat for their arrival. Two whiteboards stood side to side, partially blocking the access to the stairway on the left side of the room. A coffee table had been pushed against the couch by the furthest side of the room, and the textbooks and notepads littering it had been stacked aside to create some free space, where three coasters waited for their respective cups. The TV on the right side of the room was covered by a large map of Aireshire, that was taped to the wall above the TV. Next to it, a map of Angelinna ran over to the adjacent wall, where its coastal line got cut off by cutouts of different boroughs of Sambourough pinned over it. All maps were annotated with several coloured markers. In a few places, the thin paper with ultra-detailed roads and elevation lines had torn under the alcohol ink and had been precariously repaired with clear tape. There were pins in all three of the maps, marking locations in the middle of pastures, forests, and industrial areas. The whiteboards were covered in notes about station relays, programming, and data compression. Farrah couldn¡¯t make sense of most of the writing, but the maps were more her expertise. While Vega flipped through the manuals and textbooks on the coffee table, Farrah examined the map of Sambourough closer. She pulled up her own map of it, and compared the black lines to where that collapsed tunnel was. Unfortunately, the central part of the city was cut off, as Daniel had chosen to focus on two of the city¡¯s biggest hospitals and several of the industrial areas. ¡°AeroSolar Renewables Ltd.,¡± Farrah read out. ¡°Yep. One of the six backup archives of OBELISK,¡± Daniel said, as he brought two white cups of steaming beige tea in. ¡°Black lines are for their underground transport network, blue is for helipad and air transport, and red are the designated supply roads.¡± ¡°This one was cleared out,¡± Farrah tapped on one of the red streets in the university district, right by the St. Martin¡¯s hospital. ¡°You¡¯ve been to the city?¡± Daniel asked, setting down the third cup of tea, before hopping onto the couch, and scootching to the side, leaving enough room for someone to join him. He crossed his legs, having nowhere else to put them but over the coffee table itself, and looked at the women expectantly. Farrah sat down on the carpeted floor and picked up a mug. It smelled like the cheap stuff they served at brunch places, but even that brought up memories of the past; of how they had to ask for a high chair for Hubby, or at least a few cushions, of how mum always insisted on having tomatoes removed from any dish despite not being allergic, or how ¡®pa always unfolded a napkin over his knees as if they were at a proper restaurant. Farrah turned around to face the map so that the other two wouldn¡¯t see her cry. ¡°Are you gonna take a seat?¡± Daniel asked. ¡°I¡¯d rather stand,¡± Vega picked up her mug. ¡°Huh, so you do talk,¡± His tone was somewhere between genuine surprise and sarcasm. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t start arguing,¡± Farrah wiped her eyes and turned around. ¡°I found your memo on a computer in one of the ¡®backup archives¡¯ as you called them. You probably already know, from breaching my System privacy and all that, that one of my quests is to find OBELISK.¡± Daniel took a sip of his tea, as he awkwardly stared at the books, trying to think of something to say. ¡°In my defence, I thought you were going to burn my house down,¡± He replied. ¡°But yes, sorry about that. I won¡¯t do it again. Especially if we are to work together. Umm,¡± He looked up at Vega who was doing a very poor job of masking her distrust of him. The sunglasses were perhaps making it worse. ¡°Sorry, is there a problem?¡± The woman glanced down at Farrah, who shrugged. She didn¡¯t have a problem. She¡¯d even left her Steyr AUG at the door, with her rucksack and hatchets. ¡°The other Collectors said you killed their friends,¡± Vega spoke. She hadn¡¯t taken a sip of the tea, which with her regenerative ability came off as a strong insult that Daniel couldn¡¯t pick up on. ¡°And you have a lot of, umm, intel on OBELISK. It would be nice if you could provide some explanations.¡± Daniel looked back at Farrah, clearly alarmed, as he put down his tea. ¡°There are rumours,¡± Farrah took another sip of the flavoured water before locking eyes with Daniel, ¡°The short version of our story is that we came across that archive room, and the server, while trying to resolve my OBELISK quest. Now, what about you?¡± Chapter 10 - Dan A warm autumn wind blew through Hyde Park, bringing with it a mixed smell of brine, and distant seasonal coffees. Daniel was hastily trekking through the park, his graduate project rolled up in a cardboard tube swung over his back, and the rest of his work hidden away on his laptop squished between his course on Mainland fabric history and a handful of magazines that he''d permanently borrowed from his faculty. ¡°Inspired by Jeremy Farrington''s work in the ''80s, and - no, the anonymous contributors of the Bellway collection, which Jeremy Farrington based his mid-career work on. The geometric overlay, no-¡± he muttered to himself. He couldn''t fathom why his professor had invited him to present his work in front of a class of freshmen. He didn''t even get that high of a grade on it, a mid-2-2, and a voice at the back of his mind kept nagging at him that he''d be used as an example of what not to do. But he was proud of the tapestry he made, and having it hung in the reception of Clayford¡¯s University Arts and Humanities building was going to be worth something on his CV. He didn''t want to think about that dreadful and inevitable concept though. A bachelor''s and two masters down the line, he still wasn''t ready to enter the job market. If it were up to him, he would have stayed in academia. But his parents put in no uncertain terms that they were just about done with paying for his ¡°hobbies¡±. He stopped in his tracks and caught his breath. He hadn''t realised how fast he''d been walking, and a spiking pain in his side quickly reminded him that he shouldn''t be running around with about 15 kilos of books and tapestry on him. He quickly found a bench, and let himself fall onto it. Using his messenger bag as an armrest, he glanced around, checking for campus security. Unfortunately, there weren¡¯t any around. Not that he wanted to get caught rolling a joint, but it would get him out of having to do that presentation. Then he could do it the following Wednesday, which would give an extra week here. It took him several tries to light the joint. The lighter was old and empty, but it had come to the UDR with him, and in two days it would return to R¨¦que with him. He sighed. The weed was doing nothing for him, and the clock on his phone told him that he still had 40 minutes to kill before the lecture. He checked his emails. His message app. His other message app. His timetable now displayed only blank dates... He sighed, then checked his emails again. The last subject line read ¡®BUD Transfer from Hanna J. Mercer¡¯ it cut off just before the sum his mum transferred him could be displayed. But he¡¯d seen it when he received it yesterday, and earlier today. It was enough for a premium economy flight home. Or a ferry ticket and one last night of partying. Not that he really partied. He checked the message apps again, this time opening the group chats he had muted. There was an open invitation for a pub crawl later tonight. Daniel could go, he reckoned, as he took a drag of the joint. It still wasn¡¯t doing anything, and he wondered yet again if the other students were just lying about getting high. He typed out a reply, then selected the text and deleted it. 6 PM was too early to start drinking, plus he didn¡¯t know over half the people going. So, he checked his emails again before opening the ferry website. It took a few seconds to load, long enough for Daniel to double-check what date they were. His parents wanted him home before Yom Kippur if he didn¡¯t find a job. Which was in two weeks, and he hadn¡¯t applied anywhere where he¡¯d actually like to work, so he entered the details for a one-way trip to the Mainland. He found a travel time that worked for him. It was a 15-hour trip from the Clayford port, to Val de Nantes, which was only a three-hour drive to the R¨¦que border, and Dan could bet good money his dad would love to pick him up and ramble on about the history of the DMZ strip along the coast that they¡¯ll drive by. So, he wrote down the details in his notes app, hoping that the prices wouldn¡¯t go up too much by the time he¡¯d found the energy to finish buying the tickets. He finished his joint and got up. ¡°His late career work came to redefine modern textile arts, as he began experimenting with industrial materials and techniques, thus,¡± Daniel took a deep breath. Even though all there was in front of him was grass, and a few joggers about two hundred meters away, down the wet grassy hill, he felt as if he was at the centre of the auditorium, with dozens of first years expectantly staring at him, ¡°the recycling narrative of renewable resources in the United Dukedom-¡± The words that came out of his mouth did not make much sense. He ran his hands through his messy hair, in dire need of both a haircut and re-colour before his return home, and threw both the tapestry, which was soon to be freed from its cardboard coffin, and his bag over his left shoulder. He headed towards the open metal gates, that stood all by their lonesome, at the west exit of Hyde Park. He passed them and stopped by a messy crossing. Someone had tried to design a three-way interchange, and for some reason had decided to add refuge islands and U-turn lanes for each of the directions. Daniel waited for a good gap in between cars, and walked over to the first island. There was a button to push for the light, of course, but that would completely remove the possibility of some lorry or SUV driver going over the speed limit, and not seeing Dan. He was about to run over to the second island, and then into his faculty building, when something strange appeared in front of his eyes.
In 1: System Operational System_Online = sys.exec("TheSystem.ssy", (sys_ii for sys_ii in range(1, 555)), raise_alpha_error=False) diagnostic_Check = dgsc_alpha_145(System_Online, D="OlegS/SystemFinal/all_runn.ssy", diagnostics_Check_=[jj for jj in all_pop[Quad + sys.fetch.location.gbl]]) Out 1: True In 2: User name: out_cath = class.person.human[alive].isTrue name = [peer for peer in gbldata["2014.csv"] if out_cath or (excpt_alpha == sys.version.System(v=0.8))] Out 2: User name: Daniel Maximilian Mercer In 3: Tutorial Activation try: print("tutorial working") TutT = sys.fetch.ppt(o=''D:OlegS/SystemFinal/Alpha_NT/Tutorial_slides.ppt'') System_Tutorial = Display(slide for slide in TutT if out_cath, "sys_145.ssy") except: pass Out 3: Input Error: not enough input in sys_145.ssy line 593 In 4: Display HUD hud_display = sys.activate("HUD_Main_Interface", [stats, skills, goals, other], combat_overlay=False, HUDalert=False, HUDnotification=True) quest_limit = {} sys.check_errors(display_errors=False) quest_limit["User name"] = 5 Out 4: True
He grabbed a nearby pole, the one with the button he was supposed to press, suddenly dizzy. He wasn¡¯t sure if the blue screen that¡¯d just appeared in front of his eyes had actually been there, or was a by-product of him smoking while on medication. Several cars honked, and the sound of a crash came just as a new series of screens appeared before him.
System Operational
Welcome Online ¨C Daniel Maximilian Mercer
MEMENTO MORTIS IN SEMITA VITAE
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Power
Luck
Conditions
Goals not fulfilled
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
No skills to display. Your learnt and acquired skills will be displayed here.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Goals ¡¤ Kill a person ¡¤ Settle on a career path ¡¤ Feel happiness again
Give Up
StatsThe genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Skills
Goals
Other
Map Notes +
Scan the surroundings to unlock the map.
Daniel had played enough video games to recognise what he was looking at. Code, tasks, skills; it looked like the simulation he was a prisoner in finally glitched. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. And what were his tasks? What was his role in life? As if per unvoiced command, that screen appeared before him again. It wasn¡¯t to become a hero, to defeat an evil government, or even to start his own farm. It was to kill someone, hence somehow sorting out his life. He would have said that the last quest was the biggest joke of them all because he hadn¡¯t felt anything but existential boredom and numbness in several years now, but the first task was to commit literal murder. Daniel didn¡¯t pay much attention to the commotion starting up around him. He laughed one last time at the sad irony of it all and hit the ¡®give up¡¯ button.
In 1: Alpha Error try: user_action = sys.fetch(lib_action{name}, type=sequential, t_stamp=ng1) task_execution = sys.exec(user_action, sys.active[goals[2]]) except AlphaError: try: user_action = sys.fetch(lib_action{name}, type=sequential, t_stamp=ng1) task_execution = sys.exec(user_action, sys.active[goals[2]]) break except AlphaError: try: user_action = sys.fetch(lib_action{name}, type=sequential, t_stamp=ng1) task_execution = sys.exec(user_action, sys.active[goals[2]]) break except AlphaError: sys.exec(Patch_splz_alpha, i for proba_output in lib_action{name, global}, j for item in solutions_lst.txt or item=NaN) Out 1: NaN In 2: Patch updated_sys_interface = tree_learning(1000, int=ng5, int=500, rate>=95%, Tmax=False, Tmin=10) generated_outcome=sys.import(dynamic_tasks[False, False, default="No_Combat¡±, updated_sys_interface]) sys.exec("TheSystem.ssy", [sys_ii for sys_ii in range(1, 555)], raise_alpha_error=False, alpha.update(i for i in alpha.get(generated_outcome)))
A pain stronger than anything Daniel had ever felt before spiked in his chest. He couldn¡¯t breathe, no matter how much he tried to force himself to swallow air. It was like someone had short-circuited all the nerves in his chest, and all he could feel was this pulsating pain that didn¡¯t match the absent rhythm of his heart. His vision went blurry as he half-collapsed, half-slid against the pole and down onto the asphalt. He was too scared to fully process how close to his head several cars had passed. He just wanted this to stop, in one way other the other. He knew it was wrong, but he begged to cross that line he¡¯d trodden so many times. But it just kept doing on, and on; rhythmically moving energy through his body, distorting the shapes of the people running by, and the cars speeding past. The yelling and car horns were muffled, distant. A while curtain was slowly falling over the world, getting thicker and thicker with each pain-filled second. Tears in his eyes, the initial wave of panic had passed, and he tried to push himself off the road. But his limbs wouldn¡¯t move. He was scared the pulses of energy that kept his heart beating would stop if he tried again, but he wanted to escape the pain. If only the car would go over him ¨C he caught himself thinking. If only ¨C Someone pulled him off the road and put him in an upright position. The world was almost fully white now, and he couldn¡¯t hear the voice of the person opposite him. He was barely registering that he was being talked to. He tried to move once again, to show where the pain was emanating from, but for the briefest of seconds those pulses stopped and he felt his lungs burn from an absence of air. He didn¡¯t try to move after that. He let himself be pulled up and hoisted over someone¡¯s shoulder. He was carried that way to his faculty, or at least in its direction. The world went fully white after that.
Out 2: True.
Dan almost choked on the first breath he took. He breathed in and out, frantically, as tears ran down his cheeks, more from the terror of the whole experience than anything. He sat up, knees folded under him, as he looked around. It was dark, well past sunset. Some ambient light came through the large bay windows of the entry hall of his faculty illuminating the globe-like structure of shoes and dead beetles that hung from its ceiling, each of the objects slowly spinning on themselves under a cold brine-rich breeze. There were other people laid out in this large hallway, and Dan quickly realised that none of them were moving, or even breathing. He nodded to himself. He understood why he¡¯d been put here, and the mistake he¡¯d made. The hours of agony where he was unable to perceive anything but the pain inside his body had been punishment enough. He did wonder if that had been the price to pay to reset his character.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Goals ¡¤ Kill a person ¡¤ Feel happiness again
No. It was still there. Staring him mockingly in the face. Two stupid, equally unachievable goals. He just couldn¡¯t. He considered going for round two of the pain and the blackout, but that option too had been taken away. He tried to steady his breath, as he patted down the pockets of his black overalls. The email app of his phone opened when he unlocked the screen. He didn¡¯t remember checking it, but that sounded about right. There was one unread email now, black letters over a blue and white background read ¡®UDR¡¯ and the sender had a gov.co.udr extension. Daniel chose to ignore it, as he opened his contacts, and called his mum. She didn¡¯t answer. None of his 5 calls. His dad must have also been away from his phone. None of his uncles or aunts replied. Eventually, he managed to get a hold of his maternal grandma. ¡°Who is this?¡± Her voice sounded anxious. But Daniel figured it wasn¡¯t that late yet on the Mainland. ¡°It¡¯s Dan, how are you doing?¡± He asked, as he got up, and walked a few steps to one of the benches, carefully avoiding the corpses placed on the ground. ¡°Oh, Daniel, good to hear from you!¡± Her tone immediately changed, ¡°Martin told me you were coming home soon. Ah, but with the aerodrome closed, I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ll make it for the 7th¡­ Well, as long as you get back for Sukkot, it¡¯s all the same to me.¡± He remained silent for a long while. He wasn¡¯t sure anymore what he¡¯d tried to achieve by calling her. Perhaps it¡¯d been some sort of reflex. He¡¯d been in this country long enough to memorise their drills on what to do, and in what order, in case of a terrorist attack. But there wasn¡¯t a booklet on how to prepare for this video-game interface thing. And the interface didn¡¯t explain these dead bodies, with no lesions, no wounds, nothing. Just dead. And dragged to the Arts and Humanities faculties, to lay forever under a sky of dead scarabs and worn shoes that emulated the constellation in the night sky in a contemporary metaphor. ¡°Daniel, are you still there?¡± Mamie¡¯s worried voice came through. ¡°Yes mamie, still here,¡± he spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anywhere else I could go.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true, Danny, you¡¯re young, you still have many places to go,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think-¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± She cut him off. They talked until the battery on his phone ran dangerously low, and exchanged one last ¡®love you¡¯ before he ran home. When he plugged his phone in and called her again, she didn¡¯t reply. His phone stopped charging soon after that. He found his dorm surprisingly empty, as no amount of yelling, banging on doors, or purposefully triggering the fire alarm got anyone but one of his flatmates to appear. Said flatmate promptly returned to packing his bags and offered Dan a ride to the nearest storm shelter. The laminated sign in their kitchen said that that was proper protocol, but Dan wasn¡¯t sure how a shelter would help. His flatmate didn¡¯t believe the simulation theory and told Dan to follow government orders before leaving him be. So he sat on his bed and went over the screens again.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Power
Luck
Conditions
No current condition to display.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
No skills to display. Your learnt and acquired skills will be displayed here.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Goals ¡¤ Kill a person ¡¤ Feel happiness again
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Map Notes +
Scan the surroundings to unlock the map.
His future sure looked grim. He didn¡¯t really sleep that night, and he woke up around 1 PM to the noise of someone trying to break down a door. He lept to his feet, and ran down the hallway, excited to see the rescue team that¡¯d come for him. What he saw instead was a deserted hallway, and loud banging noises coming from behind one of the bedroom doors. He¡¯d played enough games to understand what the walking undead outside his window were. Like a switch flipping, his survival mode turned on. He¡¯d never been more glad not to have gone to the shelter. There was enough food in the three-storey student flat to outlast available water by several weeks. But he didn¡¯t stay there that long. If this was like a game, and if he¡¯d seen code, he was certain there was a way to hack it. At first, he hoped that the undead would continue their decomposition and that they¡¯d return to the earth a few days in. But the woman who wandered outside his building showed no sign of deterioration, and the banging on the door down the hallway only stopped to be replaced with banding on a window leading outside. During those first 6 days, Daniel often thought about how lucky he¡¯d gotten. He was on the second floor, in a now empty building, a fair distance away from the city centre, and with an ample supply of food. Finding a book on coding in one of the empty bedrooms was only made tricky by the fact that he wanted to avoid making noise or attracting attention. Between the 16 free rooms, excluding his and the one with the broken window, he found four bike lights, a good pair of hiking boots, and three mostly-full bottles of alcohol that could be used as projectile weapons with some fabric and oil stuffed into them. On the seventh day, he was ready to venture into this brave new world. He¡¯d set his mind on getting more books on coding from the library before making it out of town. As soon as he set foot outside, he was greeted with several new blue screens.
Domain Entered: Derelict
Domain Goal Kill the unique enemy of this domain.
Reward
Domain mastery increase to Untrained. Skill: Scan
Accept
Yes No
Personal Goal Enter the library are retrieve 15 kg worth of relevant books.
Reward
Skill: Digital inventory Skill: Weight Reduction
Accept
Yes No
Personal Goal Find allies.
Reward
Maximum Luck threshold +1
Accept
Yes No
Personal Goal Escape the city of Clayford completely unharmed and unseen.
Reward
Skill mastery increase by 1 level for Scan. Skill mastery increase by 1 level for 1 physical skill.
Accept
Yes No
Dan swore under his breath. This really was just like a video game. He accepted all of the goals, that really seemed more like quests, just as a groan came from behind the hedge lining the edge of the house¡¯s front yard. He slowly backed away, back into the house. This was going to be tricky, but the undead could be outsmarted and out-waited. It would take time, maybe the full day, but he would get to the library.
Domain Entered: Heaven
Derelict Domain Goal cancelles.
Domain Goal Kill the unique enemy of this domain.
Reward
Domain mastery increase to Untrained. Skill: Healing
Accept
Yes No
Chapter 11 - Back to the Whiteboard Sometime halfway through the conversation, the light went out. Daniel had to get up to bring out a few candles, which did a much worse job of lighting up his collection of maps and notes. Gelnwick, for all its lack of defences, had done an excellent job at restoring a lot of the base services. In addition to the small-scale farming most keeps practised in between Horde waves, the town had managed to get the brewery running. It wasn¡¯t running full-scale, and limits to the number of pints per person per day were set, even for those passing through, but it was clear a solid team of keepers with engineering skills was behind all of this. Yet limitations and curfews were still present, and Daniel had to hastily finish his story under the dim candlelight, and without the possibility to offer any more tea refills. ¡°Wait, so you what, hacked the System itself and gave yourself a set of overpowered skills? I don¡¯t follow.¡± Farrah interrupted when he¡¯d gotten to describing his first quests. ¡°And how does any of this relate to OBELISK?¡± She wasn¡¯t fully following. It had taken weeks for her to start getting relevant skills, beyond those the mastery of which increased through use. And what he¡¯d described ¨C that he¡¯d survived "giving up" ¨C it made her question certitudes she did not want to revisit. ¡°And how did you survive in a city full of those monsters?¡± Vega jumped on the opportunity to ask her own questions. ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t that hard. I just had to be sneaky. I made a spear thing with a broom and a knife, and that got the job done until I got to the library,¡± He continued. ¡°Got the job done? They swarm when they smell their dead kin. How did you get past that?¡± Farrah had no reason to doubt his story until now, but she was slowly catching up to where Vega stood. Details didn¡¯t add up. ¡°Yeah, I found that out the hard way on the way back,¡± Daniel glanced to the side, ¡°Well, I never did return to the dorm because of that actually. To go back to your question,¡± He turned towards Vega, awkwardly lifting his head up to meet her eyes. Her refusal to sit had proven to be quite a good move in the end, as it made Dan feel more cornered and more inclined to answer questions. ¡°I met some people from the uni when I got to campus. They secured one of the lecture halls. It was one of those six-storey buildings that connected to the medical faculty through sky bridges,¡± he rambled on. The two candles flickered in unison, as a gush of wind broke through the cracks under the doors and windows, before vanishing as quickly as it¡¯d come.
Scan - Directional - Targeted Cost: 1P.
It was a reflex, one that she quickly came to regret, as she swore under her breath, pulling up her stats window.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Power
Luck
Conditions
Goals not fulfilled
Addiction
Vega turned to the door, taking a defensive stance, while Dan asked: ¡°Everything alright?¡± He then looked up at Vega, concern flashing over his face. ¡°What¡¯s ¨C going on?¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing, it¡¯s fine,¡± Farrah waved it off. ¡°I just burned so much Power today, I¡¯m down to 9. And I lost 2 Luck cuz of overflow, but never mind, it will restore tomorrow. Vega?¡± ¡°What?¡± She seemed surprised. ¡°Oh, I just thought you were, umm, going to shoot at something again.¡± ¡°Why would she, indoors, in a Heaven?¡± Daniel asked, eyebrow raised. ¡°Well, that¡¯s what happened last time?¡± She didn¡¯t sound too sure if she was supposed to be admitting this. ¡°Most times actually, when you scan an area, and then swear.¡± Farrah chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a habit of mine,¡± She explained to Dan. ¡°Scanning has become second nature, and with all the domain benefits, even when it¡¯s not free, I still have power in the triple digits to sponge the difference. But let¡¯s get back on topic.¡± ¡°Damn, like, you Collectors are a whole different breed¡­¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Vega asked, clearly offended, as she crossed her arms over her chest again. ¡°No, urgh, I don¡¯t mean it-¡± he snapped his fingers, trying to figure out something to say instead. ¡°It¡¯s just - insane what the System can do to you. And, I don¡¯t know if you girls have ever thought about it,¡± he slid back into the couch, taking a more comfortable position. Farrah also shifted her legs under her, as she waited for Dan to get to the point with OBELISK. Unfortunately, it seemed he had yet another tangent to go on about, ¡°If the System hadn¡¯t been this buggy, if thousands of people hadn¡¯t died and if the government had gotten the zombies under control, what kind of world would we be living in? You two,¡± He nodded at them, ¡°Have fully surpassed all human limits, and under the correct leadership, you would have been the ones to rule the world. There would have been ranks, divisions, information about skills, goals, and rewards would have been even more closely guarded than now-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like where this is going.¡± Farrah interrupted him. Less than 60 years had passed since the last great war. That was half the reason they had terrorism drills to this day because that conflict of people who thought themselves superior had never truly ended, simply shifting into something more subtle, something that could more easily cross borders and sneak explosives into busy public spaces. What the System had done to the world was horrible, but what it could have done had the military and government not turned into bloodthirsty undead, or mutated into incomprehensible nightmarish creatures, would have been so much worse. Yet, something else in Dan¡¯s words caught her attention. ¡°If the System hadn¡¯t been this buggy.¡± She repeated his words. ¡°Elaborate.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Sorry, I know I¡¯m interrupting,¡± Vega spoke, as she fidgeted with the straps on her suit. Dan gave her a confused look, and Farrah waited for her to speak. She knew Vega had more to say on the subject than her. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she continued, ¡°It¡¯s just, umm, I did think about it. And I don¡¯t think it would be a good world. Everything I have, and I¡¯m, umm, sure that¡¯s true for Farrah too,¡± She glanced down at the woman who gave her a nod, ¡°It came at a, umm, price isn¡¯t the right word, but it was a lot. And people, as much as I don¡¯t agree with your, umm, ¡®trust strangers because we¡¯re all brothers¡¯, no one deserves the experience, umm, of getting skills, or mastering them.¡± Farrah hummed and nodded. Daniel agreed, before giving a quick look to the stainless steel cross that hung over Farrah¡¯s chest. ¡°I don¡¯t believe this is rapture, and that we¡¯re all going to go to heaven any day now,¡± Farrah said with a soft smirk, as she played with the cross. ¡°That¡¯s not what the holy scriptures say,¡± Daniel replied, his expression unreadable. ¡°They don¡¯t mention the System,¡± Farrah shrugged, ¡°Corinthians 15:51 also clearly uses the word ¡®incorruptible¡¯ when describing the rising dead. And beyond not hearing any trumpets on the day of the Fall, I will conclude by reminding you that Men are the ones interpreting God¡¯s words, and above all else, ¡®the Father has given us his love¡¯,¡± She paraphrased John 3:1. ¡°God wouldn¡¯t do this to any of his children.¡± Vega gave Farrah an extremely confused look, and while Farrah was tempted to explain these things a bit further, because this topic was much more tangible than that of the birth of the Prophet some few thousand years ago, and she reckoned she could get through to Vega, now was not the time. Judging by Daniel¡¯s expression, he was going down a similar line of reasoning. ¡°We can discuss this more another day,¡± He spoke. ¡°It is getting very late.¡± Farrah pressed a corner of her mouth up in a smirk. Meeting another believer was rare these days. She knew they¡¯d get along for certain now. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t follow, what¡¯s god, umm, and, umm, rapture have to do with the System?¡± ¡°Neither are related to OBELISK at least,¡± Daniel finally got back on topic. ¡°What I was trying to get at was that OBELISK is the organisation behind the System. It stands for ¡®Omni-Biological Experimentation and Lifeform Integration Systems Komplex¡¯ spelt with K because I guess they wanted to sound fancy.¡± Farrah nodded. She already knew that thanks to Vega. ¡°And how did you find that out?¡± ¡°Well, your friend was right, I did eventually manage to access the System source code. The .ssy program that¡¯s always running in the background.¡± ¡°You lost me again,¡± Farrah interrupted. ¡°How can all of this,¡± She made her screens appear in front of her with a hand gesture, ¡°Be coded? I did some programming during my bachelor¡¯s. There are requirements, servers, terminals. It can¡¯t just exist.¡± Daniel grinned with excitement, promptly causing Farrah to add, ¡°And please don¡¯t say that I can believe in this because I believe in much more difficult-to-accept concepts. Or that God made the System.¡± Dan shook his head. His happy smile remained on his lips as he spoke: ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Maybe they used a higher-dimensional device to implement it. Maybe we¡¯re all living in a simulation, used as batteries to power an alien spaceship. Have you seen that movie?¡± Farrah made an annoyed noise. ¡°They used the mensphaera,¡± Vega replied, animosity finally gone from her tone. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me what it is, I barely understand the word,¡± She quickly added. ¡°But they couldn¡¯t do it fully, it¡¯s too volatile for the materials they had. Um, that¡¯s why we can¡¯t see each other¡¯s screens.¡± ¡°What the actual ¡­¡± Dan looked at her in shock. ¡°Fuck.¡± Farrah finished the phrase for him. ¡°Is that something we can use to find the OBELISK?¡± ¡°Well, whatever¡¯s left of it at least?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Dan looked at women with just as much confusion as they¡¯d looked at him with. ¡°Wha ¨C I mean, the complex blew up,¡± He kept glancing between the two of them. ¡°On the day of the Fall, it all went down. The last records of theirs I managed to track in one of their external databases was dated to 5-something AM on the 27th of September 2014. I scraped all I could, but those places didn¡¯t have good backup generators, and 4 months in almost all of them shut down. The second Horde wave destroyed the rest.¡± ¡°When we found the files, the windmill factory, it still had power. Not a lot, and I had to fiddle around with some switches, but that¡¯s how we found you.¡± Daniel nodded. ¡°Yeah, hordes never go into cities.¡± ¡°Hordes go where people are. But why would they destroy server-¡± Daniel scooched off the couch, cutting Farrah off, as he crossed the short distance separating him from the map. ¡°This is where their main, I don¡¯t know, centre, lab, whatever it was, was,¡± He tapped by a pin by the west border of Aireshire, almost at the border with Cudria and Olsheim. Other than several artery highways, and fields-full of sheep, there was nothing in that region. ¡°It blew up, and 10 hours later we got hit with the System.¡± Farrah nodded. She looked up at Vega, expecting some comment, but the woman¡¯s face was grim. She¡¯d covered her mouth with her hand, eyes squinting at the map, which she probably had much less trouble seeing. ¡°Now, these,¡± Dan pointed at 9 little sticker dots spread out throughout Airshire, ¡°is where they had smaller branches. And this is also where the zombies come from, and return to during horde waves.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± It was Farrah¡¯s turn to use Vega¡¯s favourite question. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound plausible.¡± Daniel made a barely noticeable mouth shrug, betraying his lack of confidence in what he was saying. ¡°Those Collectors, the ones you keep bringing up,¡± he made a small hand gesture towards Vega, ¡°I paid them to go investigate one of these spots. At first, I thought they¡¯d run off with everything I gave them on my skills and the Tech domain, but then the wave came, we had to evacuate, and I saw one of them among the zombies.¡± ¡°They became a walker?¡± Farrah asked. Daniel took just a few seconds too long to agree. ¡°Give me a second,¡± Farrah opened her notes screen and quickly recapped everything Dan had just said. ¡°You can keep talking,¡± She added when awkward silence filled the room. ¡°You¡¯re taking notes?¡± She hummed. ¡°I was going to do it later, but I¡¯ll add the fluff tomorrow on the way.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re going?¡± Vega asked misplaced optimistic hope in her voice. ¡°I knew Dominic, and Chiara. I¡¯m not sure who else they went with, but they were Lonely and Tech specialists. I don¡¯t know what happened,¡± She finally finished thinking of the words that should appear on her screen, and returned her full attention to Daniel. ¡°But I trust my skills, and Vega is an excellent fighter. We both need to gather more information on OBELISK, and if going to an office campus in the middle of the countryside is what it takes, then that¡¯s that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it will be an office...¡± Vega spoke. ¡°I¡¯m imagining a bunker, the kind with grass on top that makes it look like a hill.¡± Daniel chipped in. ¡°Yes, nothing shadier than a bunker masqueraded as a hill in the middle of the UDR countryside.¡± Farrah sighed and shook her head. ¡°But what makes you think it¡¯s a zombie nest? I¡¯ve scanned these fields through and through. I never saw any agglomeration of zombies.¡± ¡°Well, that just confirms the bunker theory,¡± Daniel grinned. ¡°I will admit, I would rather have you think that there are hundreds of zombies, and mutant variants, ready to kill you, than for you to set out for a roadside picnic. There are things in the wording of some of the reports I got that suggested the containment of the zombies they were breeding. There was also a lot of medical jargon, so I think they were working on a cure.¡± Farrah glanced up at Vega, only to see her face paler than usual. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. Anything else you want to brief us on before bed? I¡¯d like to leave before midday tomorrow.¡± ¡°Wait, wait, you also owe me information!¡± Farrah got up, stretched her left leg that¡¯d almost fallen asleep, and extended a hand towards Daniel. ¡°No, I mean actual information.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in my notes,¡± Farrah insisted. She¡¯d filtered them earlier when he was rambling on about ferry ticket prices, to hide anything regarding Vega. Daniel looked around the room. His gaze travelled along the routes drawn in marker, then onto the scribbles on the whiteboard that he¡¯d never finished explaining. He sighed, with something akin to nostalgia as he stared at the manuals on the coffee table for just a few seconds too long. Farrah put down her hand, as she pieced together what the man was thinking. She wanted to tell him no. That they didn¡¯t need a keeper that one of them would inevitably have to babysit. But they needed him. There was so much more he clearly knew, and was willing to share, bit simply hadn¡¯t had the chance yet. Part of Farrah wanted to tell him off for having rambled for so long instead of giving them a concise and straightforward brief. Then they could have gone to where a sticker marked the spot. At their return, they would have shared a pint, and continued their conversation about God, before getting kicked out of the pub for getting too animated in their arguments. But Vega and she needed him. ¡°I¡¯m coming with you,¡± Daniel finally announced. His voice was strangely void of emotion. Perhaps he understood the danger he was putting himself in. Perhaps he¡¯d already resigned himself to his fate. What bothered Farrah was that he had no clear reason to come with them. He wasn¡¯t the ¡®scientific curiosity¡¯ above all else type of person. Nor did he come off as overly concerned for the fate of the few remaining folks, and how uncovering those behind the System could help the keepers restore some parts of their lives. Before asking him for his motives, or agreeing to the company, she turned towards Vega, asking for her thoughts with a silent nod. ¡°Huh?¡± Vega snapped out of a very clearly unrelated train of thought. ¡°Why ¨C umm, it¡¯s your call. It¡¯s your quest.¡± Farrah nodded, much appreciating the woman¡¯s support. Then, she turned towards Daniel. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s my quest, so what¡¯s in it for you?¡± Daniel scoffed. There was something ironically funny about Farrah¡¯s question, but he wasn¡¯t going to explain what exactly. ¡°I know you¡¯ll keep prying, so I¡¯ll be upfront, I don¡¯t want to tell you. Because you¡¯ll judge me,¡± His eyes landed on Farrah¡¯s cross again. ¡°But, I know what you¡¯re thinking, about me slowing you down, and getting you hurt and all that. I¡¯m not as helpless as those assholes from earlier told you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Farrah waved him off. One of them would have to be on babysitting duty. Daniel made a small, resigned, sign. ¡°Okay, then at least accept this, as a combined apology, and proof that I¡¯m not useless,¡± he extended a hand. Before Farrah could say anything or shake it, he added, ¡°Actually, you can have it first. I don¡¯t know what I did to start us off the wrong foot, but I am sorry,¡± He walked the few steps separating him from Vega. ¡°I¡¯m Daniel, or you can call me Dan.¡± ¡°Vega,¡± She shook his hand after a few moments of hesitation. He looked at his palm with a sad, dejected smile, before turning to Farrah. ¡°Farrah Deveraux,¡± The woman introduced herself, extending a hand.
Information Shared Offer: Skill: System Breach from Daniel Maximilian Mercer. Gift: Notes on the Obelisk created by Farrah Deveraux.
Accept
Yes No
System Breach Allows user to access the statics tab of a given target within a 5cm range, for a duration of 25 seconds.
Untrained
Cost: 15P per use.
¡°Huh,¡± Farrah stared at her palm. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Tech domain Expert Mastery bonus,¡± Dan explained, before stretching and yawning. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go tidy up upstairs. Are you girls okay with sharing a bed? I can¡¯t be asked to change more than one set of linen. Otherwise, there¡¯s the couch,¡± He gestured before picking up the long-empty tea cups. Farrah glanced at Vega, who blushed before suddenly asking: ¡°Do you need help, Dan?¡± ¡°Sure, thanks!¡± His voice came from the kitchen. ¡°So, about the beds?¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t mind,¡± Farrah replied, as she pulled up her notes screen to add one more line about Dan¡¯s unexpected, but perhaps unsurprising, domain mastery. Chapter 12 - Camping in the Wasteland The sun was high in the cloud-covered sky when the trio left Dan¡¯s house. He locked it up for good measure, but it seemed even he himself wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d ever return. His maps had been folded into his backpack, that he¡¯d swung over his shoulder, opposite a hunting crossbow. He changed into Hiking gear; grey waterproof trousers, and a khaki autumn raincoat with badges of various bands, movies, and a car race, sewn to the front. The badges would have made for a good conversation starter in the pre-Fall days. But now, they were just a reminder of good things that¡¯d passed and that could never be experienced again. ¡°You should take that off,¡± Farrah tapped her shoulder. There were days, like today, when she got uncomfortably warm in her all-weather leather jacket. She couldn¡¯t imagine how much worse it would be in an actual outdoor coat after they¡¯d started walking. ¡°Why?¡± Dan made an annoyed expression, covering one of his badges. It was of a flag Farrah didn¡¯t recognise, probably in reference to a band she¡¯d never listened to. ¡°You¡¯ll boil in that. We¡¯re gonna be doing a lot of walking.¡± ¡°Unless you have a, umm, heat regulation skill, like Farrah,¡± Vega chipped in. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ve just been dying in this every time it got over twenty,¡± Farrah chuckled. ¡°Not literally,¡± she quickly added,¡± Seeing that Vega made that semi-concerned, semi-judging face she always made when Farrah brought up using her Luck for recovery. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Dan insisted. ¡°Do we need to stock up on something? Ammo, food?¡± Farrah shook her head, and Vega made a ¡®uh-uh¡¯ noise. Then, Farrah lit her first ¨C and only, she quickly realised, as she remembered how far their destination was from any places with cigs ¨C cigarette of the day. ¡°Allons-y then,¡± Dan led the way to the edge of town.
Domain Entered: Lonely
Pinned notes available. Display notes?
Yes No
¡°Bip,¡± Farrah announced. ¡°Oh, right,¡± Dan spoke, as he read something in front of him, ¡°Bip.¡± ¡°Uhh, bip?¡± Vega said, unsure if she should partake in this ritual or not. Farrah made a mental note to tell her to do as did in these situations to avoid suspicion. There wasn¡¯t a clear code for what Collectors had to or could do, but these small rituals had become a given. The same domain mastery quest appeared before Farrah¡¯s eyes, and she dismissed it as quickly as she¡¯d done the previous time. ¡°We do sound so stupid when we say it like that,¡± Dan noted, as he read off a quest screen of his own. ¡°Like, three grown people, just going ¡®bip¡¯ in unison.¡± ¡°Well, I assure you, you don¡¯t want to be in a group of grown people,¡± Farrah chortled at the phrase. He was right, it did sound silly, ¡°who don¡¯t inform each other of System notifications. It¡¯s important to know when quests or warnings pop up, for whom, and why.¡± Dan glanced at Vega for some sort of confirmation. She gave him a confused look, before hastening her pace and catching up with Farrah. ¡°It is true, that¡¯s how Collectors die,¡± Farrah added in Vega¡¯s stead, her focus almost exclusively dedicated to adding notes to the bullet points she¡¯d jolted down the previous evening. They walked on the worn asphalt road, with tall unkempt fields of barley and oats on either side of them. Occasionally, Farrah asked a clarifying question about yesterday¡¯s conversation, which was followed by a long and more often than not slightly irrelevant tangent from Dan. She finalised her notes a good two hours later, which was also when she finally took the time to make a proper scan.
Scan - Directional - Radius Cost: Free for 5 km radius from focal point. 1P per extra 55km radius from focal point.
Farrah turned around, looking at the duo. She tried not to sound accusatory, as she inquired: ¡°You are aware that we¡¯re off-course by about 6 kilometres west.¡± ¡°Now we are?¡± Dan¡¯s tone was aggravated. ¡°We were following you.¡± Vega nodded. She was the least guilty of the three, as not only had she only briefly glanced at the map back at the house, but she also had no skills that helped with navigation. ¡°Okay, my bad,¡± Farrah apologised, not mentioning that she had clearly been busy that entire time, and in no position to lead the way. ¡°Do you have ¡®Scan¡¯?¡± She asked Dan. He shook his head. Then, he put down his backpack and took his jacket off, before pulling out a water bottle. ¡°Navigation?¡± Farrah asked. That was one of the skills the mastery of which increased passively, the more it was used. Farrah didn¡¯t look at maps that weren¡¯t her own often enough for it to come in handy, but she had it at Expert nonetheless. ¡°No,¡± Dan replied, ¡°Water?¡± he offered to Vega. ¡°No, thanks.¡± He offered it to Farrah next, who shook her head. ¡°Pathfinding? One of the ¡®Echo¡¯ skills?¡± ¡°No, and Nope.¡± He replied, putting the water bottle away, and throwing his backpack over his shoulder again, this time his jacket stuffed between the two straps. ¡°Do you have anything from the exploration tree?¡± Vega asked, trying to be helpful. ¡°The what now?¡± Farrah narrowed her eyes. This was one of those things only Vega knew about. The conversation about the mensphere needed to happen too, sooner rather than later. With how quickly Vega turned towards Farrah, with an anxious expression, made the woman set that aside for now. ¡°Utility tree,¡± Farrah repeated, before nodding towards the other woman, encouraging her to extrapolate. ¡°It¡¯s like, umm, one of the basic ways to group skills,¡± She began. ¡°So ¡®Exploration¡¯ covers what Farrah just named, and most of the physical skills, other than the, umm, combat ones. The 4 ¡®Echo¡¯ skills are on the magic tree actually.¡± Farrah had already begun walking through the knee-tall grass, but turned around just in time to see Dan¡¯s utterly confused face. ¡°The 4 Echo skills are on the magic tree,¡± he repeated, with not enough of a joking tone or sarcasm for it to come off as anything but confused. ¡°Yes, the tree with the, umm, well Farrah doesn¡¯t have any of it¡­¡± Farrah chucked. ¡°The inventory skills I¡¯m presuming? And the force-field lot that comes either before or after Arena?¡± ¡°Mhuum,¡± Vega nodded. ¡°The elemental and healing skills too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard any other Collector categorise the skills like that. So, where would my-¡± He paused as if pondering if he should really share his skills with the women. ¡°Breach is under utility. Weight reduction too,¡± Vega replied. ¡°How do you know I have weight reduction?¡± He stopped in his tracks, giving Vega a suspicious glare. Vega was just very perceptive. She could if Farrah was reading text, or a map just from how she interacted with a screen, so she presumed that Vega¡¯d deduced it from the way Dan¡¯d dropped his bag, or something of the sort. However, his mind had clearly just jumped to some other conclusion, as both of them were reading screens at that moment. ¡°Hey,¡± Farrah called out. Dan swiped his hand in front of him as if trying to make the invisible screen disappear. ¡°Sorry, sorry, that was just,¡± he tried to apologise to Vega. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Vega nodded in his direction, barely acknowledging him, before catching up to Farrah. With a smug expression on her face, she whispered: ¡°He has the entire tech tree apart from ¡®Radio¡¯, all the inventory skills, and ¡®Armour crafting¡¯ and ¡®Data Shield¡¯ at Trained. The rest is Expert,¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Dan called out. He sounded fully apologetic now. He started hastily walking towards them. ¡°And most of the physical skills at either trained or mastered,¡± Vega concluded, before walking on ahead. ¡°Hey,¡± Dan called out after her once he¡¯d caught up to Farrah. ¡°What did she say?¡± He asked meeting eyes with her. He looked more in distress than someone in this situation should. After all, he¡¯d gotten Vega on his bad side entirely by himself. ¡°That you should stop invading her privacy,¡± Farrah lit up a cigarette, before starting walking. ¡°Shit,¡± Dan swore under his breath. He tried to make a few steps to catch up with her, but Farrah tugged on his sleeve, silently telling him to walk with her. ¡°I ¨C This will come off as awful,¡± He spoke, resigning to this new arrangement, ¡°But she gives me ¨C this feeling. This creepy feeling¡­¡± He sighed, before yelling another apology. ¡°Yeah, we thought the sunglasses would help. It¡¯s an ongoing, umm,¡± Farrah paused, noticing that she¡¯d picked up one of Vega¡¯s verbiages, ¡°affliction.¡± She concluded. ¡°And you snooping around in Vega¡¯s System doesn¡¯t help.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Dan sighed and scratched the back of his head, his fingers shifting the long stands of vibrant blond that fell over them. ¡°You used to bleach your hair?¡± Farrah asked, after exhaling a drag. ¡°Huh?¡± Dan looked at her in confusion again. Farrah chuckled. ¡°Now, I promise I don¡¯t have a skill that lets me see that,¡± She had to hold back from laughing at Dan¡¯s expression, ¡°I used to bleach my hair too,¡± She picked out a lock from her ponytail that transitioned from dark brown to an orange-red, to a dark yellow. ¡°You can actually tell where the bleach lines are.¡± If she¡¯d had both her hands free, she would have shown him the virgin shoulder-length curls on the right side of her hair, that had grown from an almost full shave in a world where hair bleach no longer existed. Dan ran a hand through his hair again, pulling over and in front of his eyes. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d been meaning to re-dye it, before everything,¡± he spoke. ¡°My parents, they were very religious, and they didn¡¯t want any of this.¡± ¡°What, of your hair being two shades lighter?¡± Farrah chuckled, taking one last drag of her cigarette. ¡°Oh, it used to be blue,¡± Daniel replied. A happy smile flashed over his face. ¡°So, what about you then? Hair dye, fancy skill, or albinism?¡± Farrah looked at him and shook her head with a semi-amused smile. Maybe he¡¯s never met anyone with albinism in real life and didn¡¯t know that the bright red eyes were a myth. She didn¡¯t correct him because she kind of understood where he was coming from. In the few seconds it took for Vega to go ¡®umm¡¯ before formulating a reply, the fact that Vega¡¯s appearance was more likely than not a result of the experimentation described in her file caught up to Farrah. ¡°There¡¯s a flyer about 10 kilometres that way, but it¡¯s not going towards us,¡± Farrah called out, cutting the conversation short. If Vega wanted to, she could restart it later on her own terms. Dan gave Farrah an annoyed look, as he¡¯d clearly been enjoying the chatter. He reached out into his trousers¡¯ pockets and pulled out an eyeglasses case. The thickness of the rectangular glasses, that protruded slightly from their black and purple plastic frames, made Farrah wonder how he could see anything without them in the first place. He put them on and squinted into the grey sky. Vega turned towards Farrah, raising a questioning eyebrow. Farrah winked in reply, before speaking: ¡°It¡¯s out of range now, we can keep going. Keep those on,¡± She nodded at Dan. ¡°I can¡¯t risk breaking them. I already lost a pair, this isn¡¯t even my correction,¡± He replied, putting the glasses away, and picking up the pace. ¡°Unless you slip and fall, you won¡¯t break them with us around,¡± Farrah spoke, reaching for her tin. A heavy drop of rain fell onto her hand, and she promptly put the cigarettes away, with an annoyed grunt. ¡°I appreciate the sentiment, Devs¡± Dan replied, ¡°But I think in an emergency situation, it¡¯s best not to take that risk, and then end up stranded blind in the middle of a city I don¡¯t know.¡± Farrah gave him a questioning look. It sounded very personal, and she wondered if that was what had made him give up being a Collector. Before she could ask, about that or the sudden and unprompted use of her nickname, Vega spoke: ¡°In an emergency situation, Farrah and I will, umm, take care of it.¡± Farrah hummed in agreement. Another heavy raindrop fell onto her nose. Immediately followed by dozens of others. Then hundreds. ¡°Vega, here,¡± She tossed over the rain jacket she¡¯d bought the previous day. Then she hastily pulled out the camo plastic sheet that worked night shifts as a makeshift tent, hoping to not let her clothes get too wet. She threw it over her head, and rucksack, holding it in place. ¡°Told you I¡¯d need the jacket,¡± Dan said as he put his own coat on. ¡°Where¡¯s the nearest cover?¡± Vega asked, awkwardly holding the white coat in her arms. ¡°Put it on, come on,¡± Farrah gestured to the right, before activating her ¡®Run¡¯ skill.
The rain quieted down before the group could find proper shelter. It didn¡¯t stop raining per se, but the droplets had gotten smaller, and fell slower, taking their time to appreciate their time aboveground, before the brown earth would swallow them, and use them to feed its children. Running for shelter had caused the trio to break their previous formation. Farrah had taken the lead once more, as she looked at her map more than under her feet. Vega had fallen behind, to account for any potential threats that would try to ambush them. Ambushes didn¡¯t really happen in this domain. At least not in the fields. But it was better to be safe than dead. Dan walked between them, visually scanning the fields for anything that resembled shelter. Or blurry outlines thereof. With about five meters in between each of them, keeping up with a conversation was complicated, so none bothered to start one. That was until Farrah picked up something on her scan: ¡°Hey, Dan,¡± She called out, turning around. Her voice wasn¡¯t loud enough to be considered a yell, and she made a hand gesture for the other to keep it down. ¡°Yeah?¡± He asked when he caught up. ¡°Did you get a domain quest when we left the keep?¡± ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t worry, I refused it. I wasn¡¯t gonna slow us down with a boss fight.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Vega asked, mostly to make her presence known, judging by her expression. Farrah squinted at him. ¡°We can grind quests if you want, we¡¯re not on a timer. What mastery level if your Lonely domain?¡± ¡°No, no it¡¯s fine. I would rather get to the nest than waste time on side quests,¡± He hastily replied with too much determination. Farrah let her expression show just how wrong she thought he was to dismiss his own safety by ignoring quests, especially when help was being offered. Then she shrugged and swung her Steyr AUG over her shoulder. If Dan didn¡¯t want the kill, she wasn¡¯t going to insist. ¡°Wait, wait, what are you shooting at?¡± Dan asked, his tone suddenly concerned. ¡°The monster over there,¡± Vega replied in Farrah¡¯s stead, making the woman lower the riffle. She gave Vega an impressed smirk, before nodding in the direction slightly North-West of their position. ¡°Glass wraith. Do you need the kill or not? It will eventually reach us if we keep chatting.¡± Dan squinted in that direction, and with a resigned sigh, put his glasses on. The visibility was extremely low with the rain falling at a painfully slow pace through the air, colouring it with tiny grey dots. The mutated zombie was moving slowly, spreading its filament-like tendrils through the soil. Its skin was a translucent bluish-grey, that blended perfectly with the cloud-covered sky. And if not for the raindrops running along it, defining its shape against the horizon, some four hundred meters away, it would have been fully invisible. It didn¡¯t have arms, nor legs per se. Its face was a featureless oval, with a fine line, invisible from this distance, that would open to scream at frequencies too low for the human ear the second its tendrils would come into contact with something living. As interesting as the mutant was to observe, it was slowly moving its legless body towards the group. Farrah levelled her rifle once more. ¡°Wait, I got it,¡± Daniel said. He put down his backpack, and took out his crossbow, before creeping a few dozen meters ahead, closer to the creature. Farrah lowered the barrel but kept her hand firmly on the barrel grip. ¡°Umm, what do you think he wants with, umm, such urgency?¡± Vega came up for Farrah and whispered. She looked concerned. Worried even. One of the black straps on her left sleeve had started to come undone from the constant fidgeting. ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± Farrah replied, in an equally hushed tone. She was out of ideas, and she wanted to ask, but she knew she needed to spread out the questions a little if she wanted a proper, detailed, response. Earlier, when he was extrapolating on yesterday¡¯s conversation, he started to sound tired. She didn¡¯t know if it was the topic or the amount of talking, but she didn¡¯t want to push further that day. Dan finally got to what he deemed was close enough. A silent arrow shot at the creature, piercing its shoulder. Dan swore under his breath. And the wound of a gunshot echoed through the fields. But it was too late. In that fraction of a second it had taken for a bullet to burst through the zombie¡¯s head, its face had already split in three. Vega ducked down, hands over her ears, an expression of extreme discomfort painted over her face. Dan was pushed back by the few sound waves that¡¯d left the wraith¡¯s mouth before it¡¯d lost it. They distorted the rain, and Farrah felt them travel through her, under her skin, over the muscles, before leaving through the other side. She didn¡¯t yell at Dan about the multitude of skills that helped with aim.
Scan - Directional - Targeted Cost: Free.
Ammo Efficiency Reduces the chance of using a projectile munition from 100% to 5% per shot. Requires individual attunement to each new weapon.
Expert
Cost: 2P per 5 hours of usage. 1P to interrupt effect.
Domain benefit Distance and attunement skill restrictions removed.
Aim Assist Projectiles automatically hit a selected target with known position.
Expert
Cost: 5P per projectile.
Domain benefit: Distance and attunement skill restrictions removed. 85% chance of casting dependant skill [Blast - Force] instead.
She pulled up a map and opened fire. ¡°Vega, there¡¯s a swarm coming from the North-East,¡± She yelled in between two bursts. ¡°Time?¡± Vega asked as she moved her arms up in a guard, taking a stand behind Farrah. They were in a field, so it was hard to decide where a point of reference would be. Farrah turned slightly to the right, taking a few steps so that Vega could keep her position too. ¡°This is north,¡± She fired a shot at her feet and into the horizon line. ¡°Swarm at two-thirty.¡± She said, before spinning around again to take down zombies flying at them at them at absurdly impossible speeds from the South-East. She heard a squashing noise and several shrieks. She felt something large, the size of her hand, smash into her rucksack. ¡°Vega,¡± She called out, not adding ¡®don¡¯t throw the bugs at me¡¯. A quick apology came, that was quickly drowned out by the sound of gunfire. ¡°Fuck, what are those things-¡± Dan¡¯s voice came from the west. Farrah turned in his direction, eyes up on the sky, as she fired seven more shorts. She glanced at him smashing a skull into the ground. In his defence, that was a big one. Usually, the insectoid mutations that developed exclusively inside skulls broke the bone from the inside, using bits of it as a shell, and rearranging the skin and muscles to form elongated limbs and thin boneless wings. That skull had been just over fist-sized and deemed small enough for its previous owner to keep it as is. Several more of the insectoids fell into the tall grass. ¡°Seven,¡± Farrah ordered to Vega as they synchronously moved around once more. She fired four final shots in the air, before firing one into the grass, a three-o-clock. The grass got pushed down, hit by an invisible ball of energy. It brought down five of the small creatures, that flew up the second they realised their cover was gone. Farrah didn¡¯t risk firing ¡®Blast¡¯ instead of a regular shot this close to two allies. Left hand on the barrel grip of the Steyr AUG, she reached out for a hatchet. But before she could do anything, Vega dashed past her. She lept up in the air, smacking down two of the creatures with a crescent kick. She hit one of them her palm, with enough force to break its shell, and send it flying into the wings of another. She landed next to the one that¡¯d just lost its ability to fly and stomped on it without much grace. One bug managed to survive and flew at Dan with an angry screech. Vega dashed under it and hit it upwards with the base of her palm. It made a cracking sound before falling to the ground as a mass of brown and purple goo. Dan swore and took a few steps back. With immediate danger out of the way, Farrah turned to where she¡¯d last spotted that vanishing yellow dot. She fired ten shots spread around its last known location. ¡°Are there more?¡± Vega asked, having quickly returned to her position by Farrah¡¯s side. ¡°No, we¡¯re done. But we better not linger here too long,¡± She replied, putting away her weapon. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that¡­ I swear I was aiming for its head.¡± Farrah hummed, and shook her head, waving him off. ¡°This is a good domain to practice and mess up. It will take hours for flyers to gather around the corpses, and we¡¯ll just have to be a little more vigilant during the night.¡± Surprisingly enough, Vega agreed. There wasn¡¯t a touch of annoyance, sarcasm, or disdain in the little ¡®uh-uh¡¯ noise she made. Being a bad shot didn¡¯t seem to be on her list of Daniel¡¯s flaws. ¡°Okay, yeah,¡± Dan nodded, as he went to fetch his arrow. ¡°How long till we reach the bunker?¡± ¡°The coordinates are about 150 kilometres away. So anywhere between three days and two weeks,¡± Farrah replied, as she began walking. ¡°Pardon? Why don¡¯t we just run there?¡± Farrah stopped in her tracks. That was a valid question. She preferred to walk to maximise her chances of triggering a quest, and giving herself more opportunities to grid some skills if she needed to. But with her current predicament, she no longer needed to worry about that. Yet, every minute spent away from the OBELISK was a minute she could live worry-free of what her last quest held. She turned around to look at Vega who¡¯d started to fiddle with the straps on her arms again, as she stared somewhere into the grass. Dan had a hand on his hip and was still expecting a proper answer. Depending on the lie she¡¯d tell, neither of them would be the wiser. But instead, she chose to say: ¡°I¡¯m not in a rush.¡± She began walking, ignoring Dan¡¯s complaints, which turned into him trying to get Vega on his side, then finally settling down for a few long minutes, before deciding to start a casual conversation again. Somewhere thirteen or so kilometres to the north, no yellow dot blinked over Farrah¡¯s map. And over a hundred kilometres ahead, in the direction they were headed, a spot that was once marked by a small sticker on a physical map stood equally bare of zombies. It was quiet in the endless fields. And for now, the trio was alone. Chapter 13 - Angry Whispers in the Wind ¡°So, what¡¯s your horse¡¯s name?¡± ¡°My what now?¡± Farrah asked, in between two huffs of a cigarette. It was truly a mystery to Dan where she got enough of things to sustain her chain-smoking habits. He had considered asking her for one on more than one of those evenings by a dim campfire, that never stayed on long enough to keep them warm throughout the night. But he never had, knowing how some collectors got with their private property. And he couldn¡¯t blame her. Not in a world where any kind of property was scarce. ¡°Your horse in this race,¡± He absent-mindedly zoomed in and out on the map in front of him. Farrah had made him unlock ''Scan'' on one of the first evenings of their travels. However, the white and black lines on the blue background were meaningless to him without labels. When he zoomed out enough, he could see black semi-circles, where the untrained skill had taken a bite out of the ambient fog of war. And right next to him, a blue dot was blowing white smoke into a white sky. The fact that Vega used cloaking made the skill all that more useless. ¡°Are you still waiting for me to elaborate?¡± He looked up at the woman from where he was sat against a tree. She gave him a half-arsed chuckle, before returning to reading something in front of her. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Dan asked, his tone genuinely curious. Neither of the girls had really bothered explaining their motives. Neither of the girls were particularly talkative either, to be fair. ¡°Reading? Smoking? Babysitting?¡± She winked at the last one, finally dismissing the screen, and sliding down to crouch at eye-level with Dan. ¡°Why do you - you know very well what I mean.¡± She hummed, and took a long drag, looking somewhere in the distance. Her profile against the white sky and grey fields painted a curious portrait. She was someone before the End. There was determination and drive behind her brown eyes that the past two years had failed to erase. She could have easily taken out the cheek and lip piercings, cut her hair, and embraced this new world. But she refused to or perhaps had never felt the need. ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± She eventually replied. ¡°It¡¯s my last quest. It¡¯s what I¡¯ve gotta do.¡± ¡°But why?¡± Dan insisted. There was something more to it, something worth the risk. Dan wanted to know what kind of a reward would send a greedy Collector on this wild goose chase. She knew too little and asked too few questions. ¡°You¡¯re clearly not doing this because you think you¡¯ll be able to fix this System and cure the walkers. It¡¯s not scientific curiosity about the System¡¯s origin. So what¡¯s the reward?¡± Farrah extinguished her cigarette and buried the bud in the wet earth. ¡°There is no reward. I guess it¡¯s the same reward as for anything we do in life; to live, to see another day.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Dan forced a chuckle. It wasn¡¯t funny. And quickly he realised that she wasn¡¯t joking. ¡°If that¡¯s your only quest, and you¡¯ve mastered the three most dangerous domains, you can¡¯t overload on goals, and there¡¯s nothing out there that could kill you. Why do you bother following the System¡¯s orders?¡± Farrah dryly chuckled in reply. A breeze all too cold for this midsummer morning hastily carried her nostalgic smile away, shuffling the grain-grass as it did so. ¡°A friend of mine said almost those exact words to me once,¡± She turned to look Dan in the eyes, her arms folded over her knees, ¡°Back then I replied that this was what we¡¯ve always done. We set ourselves daily goals, we followed his plan. The System made life unfair, more dangerous, and doing these quests to keep up with it all is just our new routine.¡± Dan¡¯s lips twisted in a sneer of disgust. He was meant to be lenient with other people¡¯s actions, especially considering she, and the red-eye blond, were limited to 5 goals per day. But still. She was a murderer. All the Collectors were. ¡°Okay,¡± Farrah rolled her eyes, ¡°What are you judging me for? Surviving? Living? Grinding quests to keep myself alive, instead of relying on metal and brick to keep the zombies at bay twice a year?¡± ¡°Killing, mostly,¡± Dan dryly replied. ¡°I haven¡¯t told you this yet, but I tried to join your group.¡± She raised an eyebrow, and he corrected himself. ¡°A Collector¡¯s group.¡± ¡°Those are extremely inefficient for increasing mastery-¡± He raised a hand in her direction, asking her to let him finish. ¡°One of the reasons we parted ways was because there were goals I couldn¡¯t do. Ethically, I mean. The one to burn luck points, the double kill one¡­ So, you, being religious and all that,¡± He gestured at her cross, ¡°how can you justify taking a life to prologue your own?¡± Farrah chuckled, seemingly genuinely amused. But, before she could reply, a familiar voice with its faint Mainland accent, came from behind him: ¡°And, umm, what would the other reasons be?¡± Dan grabbed his chest, genuinely startled. ¡°Where did you come from?¡± He snapped, turning around. The better question was where Vega had been, as she¡¯d been gone too long for a loo break, not long enough to have done any recon, and had returned empty-handed, showing that she hadn¡¯t scavenged anything from the four abandoned houses that waited for them some two kilometres ahead. ¡°Here,¡± Farrah got up and handed Vega a bowl of porridge stew that¡¯d long since gotten as cold as the two metal bowls next to it. Vega made a little ¡®uh¡¯ noise, and gestured not quite in the direction of the abandoning houses, before whispering something to Farrah. Dan was just about getting fed up with these quiet exchanges. But there were almost at his bunker, so he swallowed down those feelings of rejection, and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for Farrah to nod in response to words he wasn¡¯t entitled to hear. Vega then walked away, chewing on spoonfuls of cold, rubbery, porridge. She stopped within earshot. Clearly whatever she¡¯d found was more urgent than prying into Daniel¡¯s personal life, as she so often did. Not being able to fidget with her sleeves, she tapped her foot against a nearby tree as she ate. ¡°To answer your question,¡± Farrah continued, not bothering to sit down again, ¡°I know which quest you¡¯re referring to. And I really don¡¯t care what you think of me, or how you judge my soul, because it¡¯s not yours to judge. But I want you to know that had the roles been reversed that day, I would have begged her to let me turn instead. But sometimes morality becomes blurry. Is killing a zombie any different from killing a Man? Especially the ones who turned early on. They look just like people. I know I wondered more than once if they still had a soul.¡± She put a hand over her hip, and waited a few seconds, giving Dan the time to think and respond. He did the former, but never got to the latter. This close to his goal, getting into arguments wasn¡¯t worth it. Farrah nodded, her frown showing that she wasn¡¯t mistaking his silence for agreement. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t let the System decide for you who is a person, and who isn¡¯t.¡± She concluded. ¡°On a lighter note, there are no zombies ahead, and we can get to your coordinates by late afternoon. If you want, you can take a head start. We¡¯ll clean up the dishes and catch up.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°I can clean, you can go chat,¡± Daniel rolled his eyes, as he got up. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t have to come up with excuses on my account.¡± Farrah gave him a strange, almost resigned, smile, before heading towards Vega. Dan briefly rekindled the fire they¡¯d used to make breakfast, to heat up some water and clean the bowls. The third one was very promptly handed to him by Vega, followed by a quiet thank you. He watched as the blue dot quickly moved fifty or so meters away on his map. He didn¡¯t look up to check where the girls had gone. He disagreed with Farrah on her attitude. The System wasn¡¯t perfect, he¡¯d read the code, he knew it better than anyone. Perhaps that was also why he was in a unique position to know for certain that the zombies were no longer people. It was sad to think about how one¡¯s life could be held in just over 600 lines stored on a server, in some probably waterlogged and zombie-filled bunker. But those 600 lines became 9 when a person¡¯s status changed from alive to no longer so. That was something Farrah and her talks of an immortal soul could never understand. Dan paused, a half-dirty bowl in his hands. People were more than code, he was more than those 600 lines ¨C which in his case were actually over 700 due to his unique predicament. And yet, here he was, teaming up with a weirdo and an antisocial loner to get access to the admin password that would let him edit his own code. Would he still be a person then? If he were to change something that wasn¡¯t his to change? He returned to cleaning dry oats. He didn¡¯t have the energy to think about that.
¡°Umm, so, about this quest,¡± Vega really didn¡¯t know how to bring up the topic. It didn¡¯t help that it¡¯d been weeks since she joined Farrah, but she¡¯d somehow never found the time to reply to any of Farrah¡¯s questions about her System, or join in any of the conversations about quests that the woman so often held, sometimes with other Collectors, sometimes with herself. Farrah nodded, inviting her to speak. Her expression was grim, and she kept glancing back, to the wooded strip where they¡¯d camped that night, and where Daniel was currently packing. Vega didn¡¯t want to turn around to look at the man. The main issue with her quest was that there were no settlements nearby. Noticing that she wasn¡¯t ready to speak, Farrah started up the conversation: ¡°Listen, I¡¯d appreciate if you stopped excluding him. I know you don¡¯t like him. He can be abrasive, but we should keep these private conversations to the minimum.¡± Vega pressed the corner of her lips up, in a half-smirk, unconvinced by Farrah¡¯s words, before glancing to the ground, hoping to spot something among the tall grass that could be used as a segway into what she needed to say. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like him,¡± She tugged on the strap on her right wrist. The one on her left was long gone. She thought Dan was cute and under different circumstances, she would have actually bothered to reply to any of his weird questions about things she didn¡¯t remember, didn¡¯t want to talk about, or movies she hadn¡¯t seen. ¡°It¡¯s that he doesn¡¯t like me.¡± ¡°Tough luck,¡± Farrah patted the side of Vega¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He hates me too.¡± ¡°True,¡± Vega chuckled. ¡°At least we have each other,¡± She looked up at Farrah with a soft smile, losing herself in her brown eyes for the briefest of moments. ¡°But the thing, umm,¡± she quickly snapped back to the present, ¡°Those quests I keep telling you about, umm, the ones you called ¡®overflow¡¯ once,¡± Farrah frowned, and nodded, encouraging Vega to continue with a hum, ¡°I get three daily. They¡¯re fine. Like, pushups, killing some monsters, fasting, umm, you saw me do a few¡­¡± ¡°Uh-uh,¡± Farrah nodded. She looked a bit up, not quite at Vega, clearly thinking back to the examples she was describing. ¡°I usually do them, umm, while on supply runs so I don¡¯t bother you. And if I don¡¯t do them, this bar fills up,¡­ umm¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, up to a maximum of 5, then you need to burn a Luck point to reset it.¡± Farrah nodded. ¡°Well I can¡¯t, I told you I don¡¯t have Luck,¡± Vega replied. ¡°They used to have this device that reset it, but now, with everything Daniel told us, I¡¯m not sure it still exists.¡± She glanced up at Farrah, who seemed to be in thought, as she remembered that Farrah didn¡¯t know the full extent of her bond to OBELISK. She didn¡¯t doubt the woman¡¯s ability to put it together, but thankfully she¡¯d missed that key piece that was her medical file. So, she elaborated. ¡°OBELISK. They are the ¡®they¡¯ I just mentioned.¡± ¡°So you want to go look for this device once we get to the complex?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it will be there. If Daniel was right about it having become a lair, well, umm¡­¡± She didn¡¯t know what to say. She didn¡¯t want to get her hopes up. And she wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to pay the price of having that bar reset. There were very few things she could still feel, and the electric pain that came from her nervous system being activated all at once was not something she sought out. ¡°I¡¯ll have a look. I¡¯ll rig ¡®Scan¡¯ like I did for the factory.¡± Farrah nodded, taking a step forward, towards the camp. ¡°You¡¯ll, umm, waste power,¡± Vega argued. Farrah smiled and put both her hands on Vega¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Even if I wasn¡¯t in the triple digits, I¡¯d still do it,¡± She promised with a nod. She let go, but before she could take another step, Vega grabbed Farrah¡¯s arm. ¡°I need to stab someone before midnight,¡± She blurted out. ¡°That¡¯s my quest.¡± With a shaky breath, she made her screens appear. She knew Farrah couldn¡¯t see it, and that the letters hadn¡¯t changed since earlier that morning.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Power
No skills requiring P active
P regeneration active
Available P:
Conditions
Daily goals
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Current Goals ¡¤ Inflict a [lethal] [knife wound] to a [alive] subject Completed Goals ¡¤ Run [10] kilometers ¡¤ Consume [3] [poisonous] items Reset in: 13:43:09
¡°Okay¡­¡± Farrah mumbled. She thought something over, before making her map appear and disappear. Vega patiently waited for Farrah¡¯s orders. She knew she¡¯d sort out the problem. She turned around to look at Dan. There were options. ¡°What¡¯s the exact phrasing?¡± Farrah asked. Chapter 14 - The Empty in-Between The rolling hills parted aside to give space to a four-lane industrial road that led up to a single one-storey brick building. The deep greens of the crops were muted by the fog that slowly rose back up to the sky, reducing visibility to a few dozen meters. The place looked like an abandoned maintenance building. Perhaps someone had wanted to build a water treatment plant out in these fields, or an electrical substation, but had never quite got to finish it. They¡¯d done the legwork of casting cement tiles, deep enough for the grass to abandon its fight to break through. They cut down the trees, and cut into the hills, using those rocks and gravel to cover the adjacent fields. They erected this square brick building, with windows too small to let any significant amount of natural light in, but just about big enough to turn the place into a greenhouse during summer and make it colder than the outside in winter. And then they left. Took their tools, their heavy machinery, and drove away into the fog, leaving only one once-blue small urban 4-seat car behind. ¡°Do you think this thing still works?¡± Dan asked, as he veered off the cement walkway, and rubbed the window of the car to look inside. ¡°Don¡¯t try opening it,¡± Farrah replied. ¡°We don¡¯t want an alarm ringing.¡±
Scan - Directional - Targeted Cost: Free.
She frowned, as she slid her labret ring between her teeth, somehow hoping that each little spin of the silver thing would add a yellow ¨C or really any colour ¨C dot to the grey square in front of her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Vega asked, stopping right next to Farrah. Her question sounded more like a ¡®what¡¯s the holdup¡¯ although her tone held no actual excitement at the prospect of entering this building. ¡°I don¡¯t have the inside mapped out, and I can¡¯t see any zombies inside either,¡± Farrah spoke. She looked at Vega who was nervously staring into one of the windows. She doubted the woman could make out anything through the white blinds covering it on the inside. But Farrah reckoned it wasn¡¯t impossible that whatever was hiding Vega from her scans was also hiding the insides of this building. What Dan said next only further confirmed that theory: ¡°They would be able to cloak the place. Lines 150-something, to 170-ish separate the UDR into agglomerations. It¡¯s all coordinate-based, so it doesn¡¯t line up with the county borders, but they¡¯re all directed network polygons with these bunkers at their epicentre.¡± Farrah understood very little of that. Noticing her expression, Dan proceeded to explain what basically summed up to this place being at the centre of one of over a hundred arbitrary areas throughout the island. While he talked, she went up to the car and looked inside. She didn¡¯t see any keys or cigs, and she didn¡¯t want to waste any Power on scanning for those. Not when she didn¡¯t know what awaited her on the inside of this building. She approached a window, and pressed a hand between her forehead and the glass, as she peeked inside. An office room that¡¯d been furnished at least three decades prior didn¡¯t react to her intrusion. Papers were left on the desks and monitors the size of a microwave oven gathered dust. Their white casing hadn¡¯t turned yellow despite the years, as no sun reached that far inside the building. Farrah reported what she saw, before approaching the door, and cautiously pressing on the door handle. It didn¡¯t give. ¡°I, umm, don¡¯t think this is the right place¡­¡± Vega mumbled, as she walked around the makeshift parking lot ¨C which was defined only by a denser layer of gravel, and examined the lateral side of the building. ¡°Anything?¡± Farrah called out, as she did the same in the other direction. ¡°I think this is the point where we break down the door,¡± Dan spoke, unsheathing his crowbar. He approached the small metal door, that could only be defined as ¡®front¡¯ due to the road leading up to it and two keypads and doorbell on its left side. He didn¡¯t act on that though, as he called out again to the two women. ¡°What bothers me is the fact that we haven¡¯t seen any traces of zombies. No blood, no scratches, that car is fine,¡± Farrah gestured as she joined him by the front door. ¡°No movement, or corpses, inside.¡± ¡°This place doesn¡¯t seem familiar,¡± Vega added, joining them. ¡°Why would it be? This is a -¡± Dan cut himself off before uttering the word ¡®bunker¡¯ which this very obviously wasn¡¯t, out loud. ¡°It¡¯s not an archive, it would look different. Plus, you said the archives were using factories as a front. This is the same. Looks like an old building from the outside, is a secret bunker on the inside.¡± ¡°Dan, what we call ¡®nests¡¯ are found in cities and tunnels. Warren and Derelict. Not this,¡± Farrah tried to explain. ¡°Which are both so much more dangerous than an old building, come on,¡± he cut her off, taking a few steps forward and jamming his crowbar right over the lock, in between a thin slit that separated the door from its frame. Farrah put a hand over his shoulder, tugging him gently for him to look at her. ¡°Half my strength comes from the knowledge shared by us Collectors. And I have no information on what this thing is. I want you to know that.¡± Farrah had full confidence in her skills and her ability to manage whatever was on the inside, be it old dust bunnies, or indeed a nest. But she needed Dan to understand what risk he was about to take. It seemed her warning had come off as a threat instead, as Dan nodded, twisting his shoulder from under her hand. ¡°On my mark,¡± Farrah said, unholstering her pistol, and turning on the camping flashlight attached under her bag, ¡°I¡¯ll go first, then Vega, then you.¡± ¡°Sir,¡± Vega put down the bag of miscellaneous supplies she¡¯d been carrying and threw her raincoat over it. ¡°I¡­ sure,¡± Dan agreed tightening his grip over his crowbar. ¡°Then go,¡± Farrah ordered.
Domain Entered: Warren
Pinned notes available. Display notes?
Yes No
¡°Bip,¡± Farrah whispered. Vega promptly echoed her word. They advanced, as much back-to-back as the layout of a straight hallway would allow. There was nothing but dry potted plants, sets of metal drawers, and a single water fountain lining the walls. The place smelled of drying paint and cleaning chemicals. If not for the dust trying to get deeper and deeper down Farrah¡¯s nose and throat, and the darkness of the hallway, the place could have been mistaken for brand new. ¡°Fuck, I get why you say ¡®bip¡¯ like an idiot now,¡± Dan¡¯s voice came from the entryway. He took a step forward, shutting the door behind him, and enveloping the corridor in a darkness that Farrah¡¯s flashlight barely managed to fence off. ¡°I have like 5 notifications, give me a second,¡± Dan continued. ¡°What from?¡± Farrah called out, as they reached the end of the hallway. A good portion of caution had gone out the window the second Dan started talking too loudly from the entryway. But that didn¡¯t mean the women weren¡¯t on high alert. Scans still displayed nothing, and they were faced with two corridors, and a double set of metal doors. ¡°Let¡¯s clear this first,¡± Farrah nodded towards the metal doors which she presumed held a conference room. Even without ¡®Scan¡¯, she still had enough common sense to know that those were the places with loads of nooks and crannies where zombies could hide. Vaga whispered a ¡®sir¡¯, and glanced back at Dan who was frantically reading over something in front of him. ¡°Oi,¡± Farrah hissed. ¡°Fuck off,¡± He hissed back, ¡°I¡¯m hacking this for you, missus ¡®I need to scan shit¡¯.¡± The annoyance in his voice wasn¡¯t directed at Farrah, but it could have easily been mistaken as such. ¡°Go, I¡¯ll cover you,¡± Farrah told Vega. The shorter woman didn¡¯t waste a second. She pushed down the metal bar that ran horizontally across the door. Fresh air came from the other side, but Farrah didn¡¯t turn around to look, as her gaze mutinously travelled between the three hallways before her. The door shut, taking with it what little natural light it¡¯s let in. Just as it did so, a ray of fog-filtered sun reflected off something small on the ground of the left hallway. ¡°Dan, do whatever you¡¯re doing here,¡± Farrah hissed again. ¡°Yeah, yeah, umm,¡± He started walking towards her, ¡°There¡¯s an active ¡®Signal Jamming¡¯ coming from somewhere. Expert vs Expert, it¡¯s anyone¡¯s game and with you not giving me the space to deal with it, it¡¯s mostly theirs. And also the code is corrupted. And that¡¯s a unique skill as far as I¡¯m aware, so-¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Farrah yanked him towards her so that he¡¯d have his back against the door. ¡°What the fuck, girl?¡± ¡°You had your arse exposed on 3 sides, babes,¡± Farrah mimicked his condescending tone with a headshake. A knock came on the door behind them, followed by Vega¡¯s voice whispering Farrah¡¯s name. Dan immediately dismissed the screens and changed the grip over his crowbar, finally holding it like a weapon. Farrah swept the hallways with one last glance, before knocking three times on the door and asking: ¡°What¡¯s my last name?¡± ¡°Umm, I don¡¯t know?¡± A whisper came back. Farrah shrugged. That was fair enough. She¡¯d said it three times at most since they¡¯d met, and she couldn¡¯t blame Vega for not remembering. She nodded at Dan, to attack if it was a zombie on the other side of the door, and pushed down the bar-handle. When no alarmed sounds or gestures came from Dan, she told the two: ¡°Hold the door, figure out if you can lock it open. I¡¯ll be back in a sec.¡± She hastily ran down the left-side hallway and picked up the thing that¡¯s shimmered on the floor. It was a beaded bracelet, with a metal dolphin charm, and several shells squished in between plastic beads. It was one of those beach souvenirs people got when they went anywhere in southern Aireshire of the Belvcroe isles. It was the kind of tacky memorabilia Dominic would wear. Pieces were starting to snap into place, and Farrah hastily joined the other two. ¡°Umm, I think there is a bunker,¡± Vega reported. The door led onto an inner courtyard, it was square, with cement paths running from the centre of each of the buildings¡¯ walls towards an elevated helicopter landing pad. Gravel buried the grass that would have otherwise grown in the four quadrants of this space. A helicopter stood on the gravel, some five or so meters away from its designated landed pad. ¡°It¡¯s empty,¡± Vega added, once she noticed where Farrah was looking. ¡°All doors but that one are locked, and there is an access, umm, hatch, there,¡± She gestured twice in the same direction, to the right of the helipad. ¡°Can one of you hold this while I go grab a chair?¡± Dan spoke, having given up on getting the door to stay open. Farrah turned around. With only one set of doors opening from the outside, but all of them opening from the inside, this felt an awful lot like a trap. ¡°Take it off its hinges,¡± She told Dan before turning to Vega and asking, ¡°Can you get up there?¡± She gestured to the roof. Vega nodded. ¡°Do it.¡± The woman gave her a weird glance, but lept up, grabbing the edge of the roof that was only four or so meters above ground, and pulling herself onto it. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s two escape routes,¡± Farrah gestured for her to come back down. ¡°Push comes to shove, I can rocket-launch a wall.¡± ¡°You and what Power pool?¡± Dan asked as he struggled to get the puns out of the hinge leaves with his crowbar. Vega quickly came to assist. Much less concerned with property damage than the other two, she gave the hinges one good hit, completely detaching them from the door. She caught the metal thing before it could land over the gravel. Dan gave her an apprehensive look, before turning to face Farrah again: ¡°Your Tech is on Novice. It¡¯s not ¡®one rocket for 10P¡¯ season.¡± ¡°Warren,¡± Farrah corrected. It all caught up to her the second that word left her mouth. She could see the sky above, and the walls were distant and disinterested in swallowing her alive. ¡°You¡¯re right about the code being corrupted, I¡¯m in Warren, you¡¯re in Tech, ¡®Scan¡¯ is blocked, and that bird shouldn¡¯t be there.¡± ¡°What domain are you in?¡± Dan asked Vega, pulling up some screen in front of him again. ¡°Uhh, Derelict,¡± She lied. ¡°Who do you think is doing this? ¡®Data Corruption¡¯ and ¡®Skill Disruption¡¯ would both have to be at Expert to offset you. And they could be anywhere, hiding in plain sight and we wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Well, there was a car outside,¡± Farrah spoke, as she approached the helipad. There was indeed an access hatch, a square 2 by 2-meter double door angled at its base. It led straight into the only set of doors that opened from the outside and had a black keypad built into the side of the helipad. ¡°See, but how would someone survive out here for 2 years?¡± Dan replied. ¡°I think this is controlled remotely to hide the zombie nest.¡± ¡°Why are you so set on this zombie nest? So far we¡¯ve seen more evidence of Vega¡¯s theory than yours,¡± Farrah began to rummage through the top pocket of her rucksack where she kept some pre-Fall trinkets, including her long-dead phone, housekeys, and the keycard she¡¯d picked up all those weeks ago in Samborough. ¡°The exact phrasing,¡± He scrolled with his hand over an invisible screen, separate from the one he¡¯d been reading off, ¡°was: the containment units have been fully upgraded, and we will be ready to begin the breeding phase at the start of the next trimester. Something something, irrelevant¡­ Mutations are occurring at a rate in the bottom 25 percentile of the estimates, and containment measures will not have to be upgraded in the upcoming year, unless carrying capacity of site GR-75 is exceeded. Something, something, site GT-18a has shown-¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Vega cut him off. He looked at her in surprise, an expression that quickly merged into a mixture of concern. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± He asked. Vega glanced at Farrah, who did her best to convey that this wasn¡¯t her story to tell. That message didn¡¯t seem to have fully come across, as Vega clumsily changed the topic: ¡°Is that master key working?¡± Farrah gave her one last silent and concerned eyebrow raise, before tapping the white card against the black pad. It didn¡¯t bip. No light indicator turned on. And they stood in awkward silence for a few seconds. ¡°No, seriously, are you okay?¡± Dan asked again, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t read out the graphic stuff about the uh-¡± he sounded like he was just about to say out loud which parts he¡¯d omitted. ¡°zombies. But yeah, best not to think about what OBELISK was doing,¡± He agreed. ¡°I¡¯m just here for their terminals.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what your horse is called?¡± Farrah tried to lighten the mood as she put the key card away. ¡°Yes and no,¡± Dan replied, joining her by the access hatch. ¡°As I said, I¡¯d rather not tell you. Especially with all the secrets you¡¯re keeping yourself.¡± ¡°Hey, I told you why we¡¯re here,¡± Farrah stepped aside, letting him try to pry the metal doors open. ¡°And what about you, revenge on the zombies I¡¯m guessing?¡± He asked as he failed to find a crack large enough to jam the tool. ¡°No, it¡¯s to get my memories back,¡± She replied. ¡°Right¡­¡± He muttered. ¡°Sticking with those stories¡­¡± ¡°Sticking with being antagonistic,¡± Farrah muttered in response. They were all in such close proximity that they could hear each other¡¯s desynchronised breathing. ¡°Can you ¡®Data Shied¡¯ around who or whatever is causing the other disruptions? Also, hack the lock, and Vega will punch through it.¡± ¡°How the fuck do you know about ¡®Data Shield¡¯?¡± Dan finally gave up on prying the hatch open. Farrah shrugged. She¡¯d exchanged information with Collectors who had it, and who had a much more agreeable personality than Dan. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, umm, ¡­¡± Vega spoke, before cutting herself off. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s, umm, not a good idea to go to the, umm, facility. It¡¯s just ¡­¡± She took a deep breath, ¡°They say memories and experiences aren¡¯t good or bad, that they just are and we should allow them to exist and merge within us but I don¡¯t ¨C there¡¯s nothing good worth finding down there.¡± She maintained eye contact with Farrah as she spoke. The woman frowned, but let Vega finish, before replying: ¡°There¡¯s your thing that you mentioned this morning. Plus, we¡¯ve come all this way, so whatever motivated you to stick with me for this long, hang onto that for just a while longer. It¡¯s hard,¡± She was one to talk, she caught herself thinking. She¡¯d never returned to her house in Samborough. She was too scared that she¡¯d find the master bedroom empty¡­ A spark of determination flashed over her eyes, ¡°And I am the biggest hypocrite there is for pushing you to do this because I never returned to my family. I abandoned them on the day of the Fall, I chose to remain in this shitshow, and although I know they¡¯re waiting for me, I¡¯ll never be ready to face them.¡± So much of that was true. It was more complex than a few sentences could encompass, but it was mostly true. She didn¡¯t mention how she was scared that they were all gone, that there was nothing after death and that her only way to see Hubby, mum, and pa again would be to become like them. Instead, she put a hand over Vega¡¯s shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this journey. Let¡¯s make everything worth it,¡± ¡°Hi,¡± Dan awkwardly raised a hand, turning towards them, ¡°Do I also get a motivational speech, or is that just for fake high school BFFs?¡± ¡°Do you want a motivational speech?¡± Farrah smirked, ignoring his comment about their fake backstory that they¡¯d long since given up acting upon. ¡°Because I usually only reserve those for people whose hands I¡¯d put my life in.¡± Dan rolled his eyes, and climbed up to the helipad, taking a seat on its edge. ¡°I¡¯m good, I just felt like none of that was really meant for my ears,¡± He looked up from his screen, ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, Devs, Vega, I am putting my life in your hands.¡± ¡°We know,¡± Farrah patted his knee, ¡°You know your stuff.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ping you when I¡¯m done with my ¡®stuff¡¯,¡± he replied, his eyes returning to the screens, ¡°Maybe you could look if anyone¡¯s left any biscuits in the coffee room?¡± ¡°What a nice way to tell us to bugger off,¡± Farrah chortled, before nodding for Vega to follow. ¡°Do you mean it?¡± Vega whispered once they¡¯d made it to the other side of the helipad. ¡°We haven¡¯t¡­ I haven¡¯t been that honest with you about so, umm, many things, and it feels unearned¡­ What you said¡­¡± Farrah narrowed her eyes, trying to get a good read on the woman. Vega was like an open book most of the time, but Farrah couldn¡¯t figure out what she was thinking now, as she fidgeted with her sleeves and looked to the ground. She wasn¡¯t sure where this self-doubt was coming from, as she knew that Vega was more than aware of her skills and build. Farrah checked her ¡®stats¡¯ screen, before bringing up the reason she¡¯d phased the end of her speech the way she had: ¡°I think it¡¯s best we do this now, because we have some time, and we don¡¯t know who¡¯s down there. You can do the quest you mentioned this morning on me. I¡¯ll burn a luck point, and that way we don¡¯t have to worry about finding any specific device.¡± ¡°Umm, it¡¯s alright, you don¡¯t have to do that.¡± Vega smiled shyly, ¡°I¡¯ll go down there. For better or for worse, I¡¯ll live either way. I¡¯ll stab Dan after all of this is over, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t have the ¡®Luck Surge¡¯ skill,¡± Farrah explained. ¡°Well, at least I don¡¯t think he does. He gave me a lot of crap for doing that quest. So it would have to be me either way.¡± She understood how Vega had come to the conclusion that Farrah was offering this to manipulate her, but in fact, if things did get dire, she¡¯d activate ¡®Last Stand¡¯ so the amount of Luck wouldn¡¯t matter. She explained just as much to the woman. ¡°But¡­ I just don¡¯t want, umm, to hurt you,¡± Vega spoke, looking everywhere but at Farrah. ¡°It can¡¯t be worse than some of the quests I had to do,¡± Farrah spoke. ¡°Just take the knife out quickly, and we¡¯ll both be fine,¡± she got out one of the more sharp cooking knives from her rucksack and handed it to Vega. Then, she dropped her rucksack to the ground and holstered her pistol. She took a few steps to stand back against the cold concrete helipad, and lifted her tank top to expose her abdomen. Vega¡¯s gaze lingered on the tattoo of bold flowers that ran down the left side of her stomach, up to her sternum. ¡°This is ever so slightly awkward,¡± Farrah spoke, as she felt her cheeks burning up, as if she was just now realising the sub-text of this. ¡°Can you-¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, sorry,¡± Vega tried to focus as she met Farrah¡¯s eyes. She crossed the distance between them, and pressed down on Farrah¡¯s stomach as if looking for where her most vital organs would be. Her gloved hands came to a stop right under her ribcage, and she locked eyes with Farrah. ¡°Umm,¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Farrah nodded in reply to the unspoken question. Vega gently kissed Farrah¡¯s lips before stabbing her in the stomach. Farrah¡¯s mind short-circuited for lack of a better word. The pain was fairly mild, but she could feel her own blood running down her abdomen. She was torn between telling Vega off, because this was not the time, nor the place, but especially not the time. But a part of her wanted to slide her hand through Vega¡¯s hair and kiss her back.
Luck Surge ¡¤ Lethal wound ¡¤ Instantaneous Cost: 1L.
¡°Vega, what was that-¡± She pushed the woman off her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Vega¡¯s expression instantly became horrified as she took several steps back. ¡°I just ¨C umm,¡± Blood was still dripping off the knife, and Farrah wiped what blood had remained on her stomach with her inner tank top. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± She reassured the woman, ¡°Look, I¡¯m perfectly fine. But that was really not the time to start making out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Vega apologised again, as her tone shifted to embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s just that, umm, I thought, you know, it would make you feel better about being stabbed.¡± Farrah covered her eyes with the palm of her hand, partially to hide a blush, but mostly because of how far-fetched that logic was. An image flashed through her mind, dug up from layers upon layers of memories on quests, domains, and other System nonsense. Perhaps some people would have found comfort in that one final act of intimacy. Except that Farrah wasn¡¯t one of those people, and that she¡¯d been very, very far from dying. ¡°Did your quest resolve?¡± She asked, not allowing herself to dwell on memories. ¡°Mhum,¡± Vega nodded. ¡°Thanks ¡­¡± Farrah nodded in reply with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s see if Dan has managed to get that door open.¡± Chapter 15 - Farrah A thin layer of fluffy snow covered the fields of rotting crops. It did little to hide the scent of decomposing grass, that had had just enough time to start thawing before another cold snap immortalised it for a few more days. ¡°Anna, slow down,¡± Farrah called out for what must have been at least the fifth time that hour. ¡°How come running is a skill, but walking isn¡¯t?¡± The woman replied. Her voice was strained and she was lacking air. Talking didn¡¯t come easy after a long day of basically running, and the cold wind that swept through the grasslands didn¡¯t help. At least the snowing had stopped. Otherwise, they would have had to wait it out under some dead tree; not because of a lack of appropriate clothing, although Farrah¡¯s jeans and Anna¡¯s boots were far from waterproof, but because of the lack of visibility. ¡°Devs, there¡¯s something up ahead!¡± Anna stopped in her tracks. ¡°It¡¯s your turn to scan,¡± She added, as she squinted into the white fields. ¡°I¡¯m getting low on Power, babes,¡± Farrah spoke, before activating that skill, and pulling up her minimap.
Scan - Directional - Radius Cost: 5P per 500 meters from focal point.
¡°Yellow dot. It¡¯s a zombie,¡± Farrah spoke, zooming in on her map. ¡°Yeah, no shit,¡± Anna muttered, as she swung her SA80 over her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s like a ghost. I can¡¯t fully make it out. What type is it?¡± She asked as she tried to adjust the windage of her scope, her other arm firmly on the barrel grip. ¡°Ghost? Like transparent, with tentacles? Would you use the words ¡®glass human¡¯ to describe it?¡± Farrah asked. She didn¡¯t call her friend out for messing with her scope at a time like now. She trusted Anna to shoot the mutated creature without the scope if needed. ¡°It¡¯s one of the wraiths, a domain variant. A shot through its head should do it.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Anna fired several bursts. Farrah covered her ears, taken aback by the reckoning those shots had created. When she opened her eyes, she was almost surprised by how undisturbed and unbothered the surrounding snow was. It was almost as if Anna had amplified the noise of her weapon instead of using any of the power upgrade skills. ¡°All good?¡± She called out, already walking in the direction of the zombie she¡¯d just taken down. ¡°Yeah. Did you really need to spend a whole magazine on it?¡± Farrah caught up to her. ¡°Nah,¡± Anna sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just, you know? It¡¯s like with your hatchets. And Tommy and his stupid fire axe,¡± A smile flashed over her pale lips. ¡°You know. Gotta let out some steam.¡± ¡°Yeah, babes, no worries,¡± Farrah nodded with a smile that almost passed as understanding. She was more concerned about the ammo wasted. They stopped over the corpse of the mutant. Five openings, none quite regular enough to be attributed to a single bullet, hollowed out its head. Its neck and shoulders looked like someone had taken circular bites out of them. Its chest area had become similarly disfigured. Translucent viscous blue-ish goo slowly ran down the wounds and into the soil. It didn¡¯t seem to have any distinct organs, and its body distorted the image of the brown rotting grass underneath it. ¡°That was overkill,¡± Farrah said it. ¡°Yeah,¡± Anna muttered in response as she sniffled and ran her gloved hand under her nose. She sniffled again, and read something off her screen. Farrah was just about to prompt her to read it out loud, but Anna cut her to it, ¡°Hey Devs, how about we call it a day?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d never offer,¡± Farrah nodded at Anna with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s find ourselves a cosy spot to rest. I still have 4 quests I need to do, and I¡¯ve been thinking about going back to that car factory to grind on my guns.¡± There were a few seconds of silence before Anna finally laughed at the joke. Farrah didn¡¯t do the condescending thing of asking what was wrong. It had only been five weeks since they¡¯d buried Antonio, Zachary, and Mr. Doyle. The winter had been very rough. There hadn¡¯t really been enough firewood, and one bad case of flu led to pneumonia, and eventually to the trio deciding that it was best to give up than to turn. They¡¯d buried them behind the barn, in what they all knew would become a vegetable batch the second the snow melted for good. Anna¡¯s uncle¡¯s farm had more graves than cattle by the time they set out to collect skills again. ¡°4?¡± Anna asked, as she finally allowed Farrah to lead the way to a nearby wooded patch, ¡°I thought you had 5. Did you finish the poison one? I thought you still had three days to go on it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not counting the one I¡¯ve been stuck with since the start. Yeah, technically 5. Actually,¡± Farrah pulled up her screens.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Power
Luck
Conditions
Goals not fulfilled
Exhaustion
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Poison II
Broken arm
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Goals ¡¤ Kill a person ¡¤ Survive 4 cycles of natural poison ¡¤ Find six black bricks engraved with the Domain code. ¡¤ Kill a special unit with an mele weapon without spending Luck or Power. ¡¤ Discover all the unit types.
Give Up
¡°I wish it¡¯d tell me how many of the unit types I have left to find. I am slightly regretting taking that one now,¡± She spoke, as she continued walking. Anna didn¡¯t reply.
Late afternoon came before they could reach any proper shelter. The sky had never been as clear, and the snow reflected pinks and yellows from the setting sun. Ahead, a lonely oak tree rose from a fenced-off clearing. It had seen the fall of empires, the rise of dukedoms, and the little green buds along its baren branches sang the hymns of Ages to come. Farrah lifted the rusty latch that kept the animals and the machinery away from the tree. Its thick branches had sheltered the grass below it from the snow, allowing small wildflowers, and patches of Snowdrops to thrive in its cold shadows. ¡°This will do for the night,¡± Farrah threw down her rucksack, not paying much attention to the flora, before kneeling by it and pulling out a white plastic tablecloth and bits of string. ¡°You should put that away,¡± Anna came behind her, patting her shoulder. ¡°Right, we¡¯re not going down the pneumonia route,¡± Farrah ignored her as she got up and started looking for a good place to tie the makeshift roof. She didn¡¯t pay much attention to her friend, who dropped to the ground and pulled out some snacks ¨C broken crackers and an energy bar hardly qualified as food, even if it was the only thing they¡¯d eat that day ¨C and her metal water bottle. She swooshed it around, checking that the half-litre of her uncle¡¯s homemade cider hadn¡¯t frozen, which considering its alcohol content would have been highly unlikely, before taking a big gulp of it. ¡°Pneumonia,¡± Farrah reminded her as she threw the string over a branch, threaded it through reinforced metal eyelets on the tablecloth, and hoisted it up. A noise too similar to a sob to be a chuckle came from where Anna was sat. Farrah snapped around, to finally look at her friend. She seemed lost deep in thought, as she tried to spot something at the bottom of her mixture of ethanol and apple juice. ¡°What¡¯s up babes?¡± Farrah asked as she let herself fall by Anna¡¯s side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, and pulling her close. Anna nested her head between Farrah¡¯s chest and shoulder, ignoring the unpleasant sensation of plastic against her cheek. ¡°Do you remember how that one winter, when we got drunk after church, went out to get those jam croissants and kicked that bike in the canal?¡± Farrah chuckled. The warmth of the memory seemed to spread through her entire body. Those were the good days. And even the bad that happened then wasn¡¯t comparable to the End. ¡°Yeah,¡± Farrah replied. She outstretched her left hand, as much as Anna¡¯s weight on her shoulder would allow, and her friend took it, interlocking their fingers in that familiar way they¡¯d done it ever since they¡¯d become accomplices in mischief in second grade. ¡°Although, you were the one doing the pushing, and I was the one paying for ¡®damages to private goods¡¯,¡± Farrah added with a chuckle. ¡°Your mum paid for that. It was what, not even half a grant?¡± Anna smiled. That wasn¡¯t the kind of money she could ever throw into a canal, but all the payslips and the loans had become so meaningless in the past months that these sorts of incidents became almost comedically ironic. ¡°Oh, and that time I accidentally scratched Marco¡¯s car and broke off his side mirror,¡± Farrah remembered, while they were on the topic of property damages. ¡°Yeah, ¡°accidentally¡±,¡± Anna made air quotes with her free hand as she smiled. ¡°The only thing more accidental than that was when you¡¯d shredded Mr Possoz¡¯s absence registry,¡± she chuckled. ¡°I still don¡¯t know how that binder ended up in my bag, made its way all to the warehouse with me, and somehow fell into the shredder,¡± Farrah smirked. Stealing that thing had been her parting gift to the school. She was lucky enough to have parents to drive her to school whenever strikes or military drills took place. A lot of other kids didn¡¯t. And if they accumulated too many absences, their diploma would get invalidated, no matter the grades they actually got. She knew it hadn¡¯t ever been her place to decide who passed and who didn¡¯t. And she¡¯d known for a fact that a lot of students skipped because they had work or scheduled hangouts. Maybe it had all been a power trip for her, but she¡¯d do it again if given the chance. She¡¯d do it all again if life ever gave her a way back, to before the Fall. ¡°Watcha thinking?¡± Anna asked, as she poked her in the side, before sitting up and taking a sip of her drink. ¡°Just about all the crap we pulled off in school. Oh, like with the goldfish,¡± She chuckled. ¡°Yeah, I still have Mr. Fahrenheit ¨C had,¡± She quickly corrected herself. ¡°Hey, he had a good run. How many goldfish could say they lived in a lab sink for two months? It¡¯s a miracle he didn¡¯t get fish diabetes then with how much everyone was overfeeding him.¡± ¡°Yeah, he was a fun school pet¡­¡± Anna said. All the joy and nostalgic bittersweetness was gone from her voice. Before Farrah could pry about what was on her mind again, she reached out to her hip holster and handed her the pistol. Her boyfriend had gotten the thing to work through a combination of his crafting skills and in Farrah¡¯s opinion a butt-load of luck. It didn¡¯t have a model or a make and was made from parts that he¡¯d found around the abandoned military base they¡¯d explored in the late autumn. It shot 9mm cartridges, and had never been referred to as anything other than ¡®the pistol¡¯. More than a weapon, it was Anna¡¯s keepsake. ¡°I wanted for Tommy to do this, because he¡¯s not like us, and it¡¯s unfair to ask you,¡± She began. ¡°Fuck. No, no, no,¡± Farrah jolted up, creating distance between her and the weapon her friend was handing her. She had known Anna for all her life, and maybe she should have picked up on it sooner. She should have checked in with her more¡­ But then Anna also knew Farrah as well as Farrah knew herself. She was one of few people who could lie to her unnoticed¡­ All the questions flashed through Farrah¡¯s mind. How? ¡°I messed up the timer on a quest. Thought I¡¯d get rid of it, but I didn¡¯t,¡± Anna replied with a weak smile. Why ¨C ¡°What would you have done? You¡¯re not Him, you can¡¯t make miracles happen,¡± She pressed her lips together in a shrug. It was what it was, and it was too late for either of them to do anything about it. ¡°Fuck,¡± Farrah swore, running her hand through her hair, with too much force for the gesture to have its calming effect. There was nothing left to say that Anna and her didn¡¯t know. There wasn¡¯t any debate about her not doing it. It was her best friend¡¯s request. If she could take that bullet for her, to reset her quests and let her live, she would. But she couldn¡¯t. ¡°I am really sorry,¡± Anna spoke again. ¡°But you know I can¡¯t do this myself.¡± Farrah nodded. She knew. She wiped tears from her eyes as she tried to think of something to say. But thoughts were running too fast through her mind, leaving nothing but a white void behind. ¡°Back at the farm, with my uncle, with Margarett, with Oliver, it should have been you,¡± Anna continued. She put away the alcohol and the food, and played with the straps of her backpack, unsure of what to do with her hands. ¡°We wasted too much time, so many bullets, so many quests ¡­ Between everyone there,¡± She looked up at Farrah. Her blue eyes were filled with genuine regret. ¡°You will live. You¡¯re the only one who had too many quests on the first day and survived,-¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the same Anna, those were easy. I got lucky-¡± ¡°No, no, no.¡± She shook her head with almost uncharacteristic determination. ¡°You¡¯re part of His plan Devs. Whatever lies ahead, you have a place in it,¡± She raised a hand towards Farrah, stopping her from interjecting. Her gaze had returned to the flowers peaking through the snow, ¡°and I don¡¯t. And that¡¯s okay. I just wish ¨C I wish it wasn¡¯t you. If it could have been Tommy,¡± She apologetically looked up at Farrah again. Farrah took a deep breath and nodded. The immortality of her soul was the last of her concerns right now. She nodded again, before kneeling down by Anna and taking the pistol. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you,¡± She whispered, as she drew her friend in for a hug. Anna wrapped her arms around Farrah, and they remained like that for a long while. Neither of them dared to sob or cry. This wasn¡¯t the end, they both knew they¡¯d see each other again, but it didn¡¯t really make it any easier. The sun vanished behind the horizon, and a strong, almost howling, wind replaced it. It made the unfinished camp roof flap and create a ruckus as it hit itself and the tree. The two women nodded and pulled apart. ¡°It¡¯s been fun Devs,¡± Anna attempted a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare make fun of Hubert when you meet him,¡± Farrah replied, forcing that same expression. Tears were forming at the corner of her eyes, but she hoped it had gotten dark enough for Anna not to see them. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± the other woman whispered. ¡°Now, a crown of righteousness awaits you. Rest in the peace of Christ, knowing that your life was a gift to us all, and your memory will be cherished forever¡­¡± The pistol shook, and it wasn¡¯t clear if it was because of the wind, or her not-fully-healed right arm. And the shot was surprisingly silent. Or maybe the whole world had just become too loud.
Goal complete: Kill a person
Reward
Permanent luck increases of 5% of current value at a minimum of 1 Skill: Luck Surge - Expert
Farrah breathed in, and out. She tried to make the air go deeper through her lungs, but she simply couldn¡¯t. It was getting dark, and if not for the fluorescent strips on the sides of Anna¡¯s ski jacket, she wouldn¡¯t even have known where she lay. A blast of wind ripped the tablecloth from the tree branch, hurling it away where it would never be found among the sea of white that rippled over the rotting crops. Farrah took that as her cue to get a move on. She picked out a few flowers and knelt by Anna. She arranged her body against the tree, and laid her on her back, so that blood would stop running down the gaping hole in her forehead. She undid her short braids and moved her hair in a way that would partially hide the bulletwound. She puffed up her jacket¡¯s hood, so that it¡¯d serve as a pillow, and slid the flowers into her hands. She stayed by her side long enough for the cold to get under her jacket, and the snow to soak through her trousers. But morning was taking too long to come. So eventually Farrah got up, and changed into dry clothes, embracing the sting of the wind and the snow as she did so. She swung her rucksack over her back, next to Anna¡¯s rifle. She put her Glock 17 in Anna¡¯s backpack, and Anna¡¯s sidearm into her hip holster. Then, she hung Anna¡¯s backpack over her chest, with only one strap to allow for some range of movement. She whispered a final goodbye and headed out into the storm. Her right hand protested as it gripped aground the flashlight, but it was that or the barrel grip of the Steyr AUG in her left hand, so eventually the pain numbed and subsided. Chapter 16 - Tombs, Filled and no Longer Empty (1/3)
Skill disruption Disables a target¡¯s active skills of choice. Applicable to any type of living or not dead target. Contested uses of the skill have a 60% automatic success rate. Target must be located within a range of 5m when the skill is initially used.
Expert
Cost: 2P per target per up to 15 skills per up to 50 minutes of use. 3P per additional target. 1P per start range increase of 10m.
Domain benefit: Free extension of the skill to 5 additional targets. 85% chance of skill being free.
Skill contested
Used 2P 0L
Remaining 2847P 1L
Daniel sighed and used the same skill again. He didn¡¯t know the exact combination of skills being used. They were stored by effect and not by name in the Console, meaning that he couldn¡¯t deactivate any of the dependencies for this skill, because he was pretty certain it wasn¡¯t ¡®Disruption¡¯ holding the door closed. So his only chance was to deactivate the entire lot ¨C everything that whoever was keeping them out was using. But, the more Power he wasted on this, the more he started to get on board with the girls¡¯ theory about this being just an abandoned office. Whatever was in the storage unit under the helipad surely wasn¡¯t worth the effort. Farrah¡¯s sorry speech about remembering why they did the hard and annoying things came back to mind. He used ¡®Skill Disruption¡¯ again, as he shook his head, mocking the absurdity of those words. Neither Farrah nor Vega understood what was at stake for him. He was pretty certain Vega didn¡¯t understand what the System was full stop. Daan sat on the inclined access hatch and pulled up the Console. He read through lines of code, slowly scrolling to the relevant and familiar parts. The alphanumerical characters remained where they¡¯d always been, not even as much as sparing him a glance of polite disinterest as he scrolled past. He pulled up his skill usage log side to side to the console and scrolled through it as well. He¡¯d been at it for almost a full hour, losing at a game of chance that was 60% in his favour. He felt tired, despite it not even being midday. He sighed again, and scrolled through the Console, hoping that something would have changed in the thirty or so seconds he¡¯d looked away for. ¡°Hey,¡± Farrah¡¯s voice snapped him back to reality. She¡¯d come from the other side of the helipad, where judging by the noises she and Vega had taken the other door off its hinges too. Dan didn¡¯t really care for property damage, nor for the pack of cheese and onion crisps she handed him. He did care about the fact that Farrah had changed tops and that something had definitely happened on the other side of the helipad shortly after they¡¯d left. But every time he tried to think of something witty to say, his mind became blank and utterly void of any thoughts beyond the mental image of code slowly scrolling by. ¡°What happened when you used ¡®Data Shield¡¯?¡± Farrah asked. She gave the access hatch a kick for good measure, clearly more so to occupy herself than to test Dan¡¯s work. ¡°I can, umm, try punching through it as is,¡± Vega joined them, bag of crisps in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s, umm, just might alert anyone down there¡­¡± ¡°I am honestly starting to doubt there is anything down there beyond cleaning supplies,¡± Dan gave the hatch a kick. Farrah chortled. The sound wasn¡¯t one of amusement, but rather of disbelief. ¡°Your special bunker that you¡¯ve been so insistingly adamant about in down there. How else do you explain my ¡®Scan¡¯ being disrupted, the doors, the helicopter, this,¡± She shook a tacky beach bracelet in front of him. Dan sighed again. They could camp out here, and try this again tomorrow. But he didn¡¯t have the energy to suggest or argue over this with Farrah right now. ¡°Data Shield you said?¡± He asked, tossing his unopened crisps packet to Vega, ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡± Vega protested about her destroying the door again, but Dan ignored her, not sparing either of the girls another glance.
Data Shield Create a physical manifestation of the System Console of up to a directed 25x25m square or a sphere of the 25m in diameter. Move it at will. Control the physical properties of the shield at will.
Expert
Cost: 2P to create. 1P per 15 minutes of usage. Free to dispel.
Domain benefit: Range extension 5 times that of base range. 85% chance of skill being free.
Farrah took a step back, as a semi-transparent blue 2 by 2 meter square moved from the tip of Dan¡¯s extended hand into the access hatch. It took him a second to align it perfectly against the slanted surface. Dark alphanumerical characters ran across the shield, as it lost most of its physical form. This wasn¡¯t its intended use, but having two objects in the exact same space tended to break one of the two. And sure enough, the second Dan extended his shield about 50 centimetres in each direction and made it fully physical again, a discontent click came from the hatch. It was soon followed by the sound of metal breaking, and falling a short distance. ¡°Not exactly what I had in mind,¡± Farrah muttered but readied her pistol all the same. ¡°Okay, this should do it, try breaking it now, Vega,¡± Dan took a step back, dissipating his skill. Vega promptly crossed the distance and brought the heel of her boot down on the hatch in half-circular motion. The two sides of the hatch bent inwards, but no longer being attached to anything, they were easy to pull out and toss to the side. Vega looked at Farrah, before stepping aside. Dan quickly took out his quiver from the side of his backpack, hanging it over his shoulder next to his crossbow, and also looked at Farrah, he wasn¡¯t going to go down that deep dark hole first. Farrah shook her head, amused by the situation, and moved forward, without leaving her rucksack behind. ¡°You should, umm, go second. It¡¯s best if I close,¡± Vega spoke. ¡°No brooms or buckets here,¡± Farrah called out. Dan could see that now, where her flashlight lit the start of a long staircase.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Geronimo, as they say,¡± he gripped his crowbar, stepping in. Adrenaline instantly replaced any fatigue Dan had been feeling when his foot touched the top step of a metal stairway. It circled a circular well, that perfectly fit the diameter of the helipad. The steps were made out of that non-slip texture, with small spikes and holes every few centimetres. It was the kind of thing you¡¯d see on a construction site, but he could swear he felt each of the steps pricking him through his shoes. The dry air smelled of fresh paint and overheated electronics. The further down they went, the more noticeable an additional smell of disinfectant became. Along the stairway, small red indicators reflected the light of Farrah¡¯s flashlight. Dan saw the woman aim at something in the distance. No sound, or light came from her weapon, but as they continued walking, they passed fresh bullet holes in the wall. Whatever she¡¯d been shooting at had long since slithered back into the microscopic cracks of the metal-lined concrete well, where it waited for Dan to finally cut his skin deep enough to allow the creature in. Despite the vastness and depth of this well, Dan couldn¡¯t help but feel oppressed. Like something was closing in on him and pressing the air out of his lungs. Perhaps it was the darkness, or the silence so thick he could barely hear his own footsteps. The stairway felt so narrow, and at one point Dan let go of the guardrail on his right because he felt as if it was digging into his skin too. He caught himself wondering if that was why both women wore gloves. They arrived at a landing some fifty meters below. When he looked up, he saw nothing but a spiralling row of red lights, that went on and on into darkness. Like the mouth of a worm-like creature, it waited patiently for them to start their ascent so it could swallow them whole. ¡°You¡¯re right, this is Tech,¡± Farrah spoke, moving her beam away from the stairway. ¡°I felt watched by the bloody cables the entire time.¡± ¡°I killed three, umm, I think. They were in between the power cables. It was, umm, strange,¡± Vega added. Dan took a few steps towards the centre of the room. He didn¡¯t like how the darkness hugged him, not firmly, but strongly enough to remind him of its presence. He needed to see the white circles Farrah¡¯s flashlight cast on either side from under her rucksack. He needed to know that distance existed as a concept still. But he was quickly hit with the horrible realisation that if the top of the helipad was to collapse now, it wouldn¡¯t be thick enough to kill him; only burry him under debris where he¡¯d be left to starve, in the ever-waiting maw of the monster-well. ¡°Daniel? Hey, Dan,¡± Farrah snapped her fingers in his direction. ¡°Weird shit is happening, and I¡¯m still on Warren. Can you keep that as my domain? Is that something you can work around with ¡®Skill Disruption¡¯?¡± ¡°Fuck, warren? Yeah, now this all,¡± he gestured around, not elaborating further, ¡°makes sense. So earlier my counter percentage would have been in the single digits¡­¡± Neither of the women replied. Vega began walking around, scouting by the walls of the well, while Farrah gave him an expectant look. ¡°I don¡¯t know what skill it would be, but that¡¯s clearly what happened,¡± Dan sighed and walked back into the light. ¡°How are your pools looking? Mine are unaffected but I have clearly been casting at lower mastery.¡± ¡°My pools are fine - as in, not abnormal,¡± Farrah checked, she skimmed over a long wall of text. Knowing that she didn¡¯t have access to the Console, she must have been reading her notes. ¡°There is speculation that ¡®Skill Amplifier¡¯ levels up into something that would let you edit skills, so I presume that¡¯s what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Weave,¡± Vega came up to the duo, ¡°I thought you hadn¡¯t picked it because it didn¡¯t fit with your build. But at untrained level, if you get it now, you will mess up Farrah¡¯s Power.¡± ¡°How do you know this?¡± Dan snapped. ¡°Just ¨C You worked for them, didn¡¯t you? But then why are you here now? You should have gotten everything you wanted from the System before the End. Why are you humouring us? I¡¯d make fun of your build, but you¡¯ve optimised it, there¡¯s nothing for you to gain here.¡± Vega took a few steps back and glanced to the side. ¡°You two can continue this once we¡¯re out,¡± Farrah spoke after giving Vega a few seconds for a reply, which never came. ¡°What I need to know is: can I get ¡®Scan¡¯, ¡®Identify¡¯, and the marksman lot back without losing my power? If it¡¯s no, then we move on.¡± She nodded. ¡°The longer we banter here, the longer whoever¡¯s causing all this will have to prepare.¡± Vega nodded. ¡°Yeah, no. As I said, I have been using my skills at untrained. There¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± ¡°You broke down the door,¡± Farrah objected. ¡°I think you can counter ¡®Weave¡¯ with ¡®Skill disruption¡¯.¡± ¡°Not at untrained versus expert.¡± A noise came from within the walls. It was a clumsy bang, the sound of a pipe giving out under something too heavy for it. With her left hand, Farrah partially unclipped the flashlight, moving it in the direction of the sound. The diffuse yellow beam illuminated an industrial ventilation pipe, that ran all the way around the well, piercing and disappearing through the wall over a large heavy metal door. On the side of the door, a small keypad patiently waited for input, while a few meters to its right, a heavier set of doors large enough to let a lorry, or a helicopter, through stood shut tight. The noise came again, from within the vent, as one of its bottom sides gave out, and a pile of metal rubble fell to the ground. ¡°Fucking hate these guys,¡± Farrah muttered, ¡°They¡¯re worse than the tiny body parts¡­¡± Dan and Vega exchanged a look. Neither of them knew what they were looking at. ¡°I¡¯ll take it, Farrah continued. We need to figure out what skills are ¡®Weaved¡¯, and which ones aren¡¯t. It affects the skill mastery, and the domain, right?¡± Vega nodded, adding a soft ¡®sir¡¯, and moving out, further to the right, towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll hack the door I guess,¡± Dan asked, his eyes still glued on the pile of rubble. Farrah made some sort of noise, before shooting at the closest edge of the pile. The shot was silent, and if not for the trace it made in the cement ground, which was mostly masked by its shadows, it would have been invisible. The pile did not budge. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not just going-¡± It moved too fast for Dan to register. A mix of grey, white, and vivid fiery red lept from the floor and fell down almost as swiftly, with several buckshots lodged in its plated face. It looked more humanoid than most mutations, with arms and legs of appropriate length, albeit a little thin. Metal covered its limbs. It was impossibly thin, sliced in a fish-scaled pattern, and stretched over muscle and bones which had in places been replaced by cable and rebar. It didn¡¯t budge again, and this time Dan understood what it was planning. It rose up, reaching to its back, and pulling a plate of metal ¨C the one that had served as the bottom of that air vent, over its face. It lounged at Farrah again. Dan was yanked back just as he decided to assist with his crowbar. Another of those creatures had crawled out from the vent and had been creeping into leap range towards Dan. ¡°Sorry, Vega whispered, I thought you saw it,¡± She said. She was holding a chunk of rebar that was dripping in viscous purple-ish blood. When Dan looked towards the door, he saw a mangled pile of rubble. Vega dropped the rebar, and dashed towards the creature, redirecting its hit meant for Dan. His ¡®Data Shield¡¯ spawned around him, as he ran up to the door. The keypad was right under a black electronic screen, meaning that manually picking combinations would be useless. Yet, Dan still tried a few, because this seemed like the kind of place and situation where entering ¡®0451¡¯ into a keypad would be appropriately ironic. It didn¡¯t budge, nor did it respond to ¡®0000¡¯. He looked back at the girls. Vega had just ripped out the arm of the zombie. Before kicking it to the ground, and breaking its windpipe and vertebrates with her foot. Farrah had just fired an incendiary grenade into the air vent from her Steyr AUG. A scratching metal noise came from within, and two more of the mutants jumped down. ¡°All my combat skills are fine!¡± She called out, before pulling a facemask over her nose in a fruitless attempt to drown out the stench of burning plastic and flesh. ¡°Mine too! I wasn¡¯t affected!¡± Vega yelled as she ran down the stairway, chasing something into the darkness. ¡°Okay, okay, I can do this ¡­¡± Dan muttered. ¡°I¡¯ve hacked worse. Just-¡± he realised he still had ¡®Skill Amplifier¡¯. Even as untrained, it was a broken and OP skill.
Skill Amplifier Increases the mastery level and domain benefits of all known and usable skills used within a cone range of a chosen source and height of up to 50 meters.
Expert
Cost: 1P per up to 4 levels of mastery increase. 2P per level of domain mastery increase.
Domain Benefit: 30% chance of choosing to cast dependant skill instead. 85% chance of skill being free.
¡°How badly do you need your nav skills, Devs?¡± Dan called out, as he activated ¡®Skill disruption¡¯. ¡°Less than I need Warren, I¡¯ll live,¡± She yelled in return, before pushing a mutant off her and shooting it point-blank into its chin. She swore, applying pressure over a spot on her arm. ¡°Wanker tore my jacket!¡± Dan ignored her. She sounded just fine. He didn¡¯t know the exact percentages, on account of both his screens lying to him, but after casting ¡®Skill disruption¡¯ twice more, the long-awaited message appeared before him.
Skill contest succeeded
¡°Finally,¡± he grinned. The locking mechanism of the door clicked open, and he looked back at the women, waiting for their go-ahead. Farrah waved vaguely in his direction, before shooting another of the mutants that¡¯d lept down from somewhere along the stairway. ¡°Go,¡± She yelled. ¡°Wait,¡± Vega appeared before him, having clearly used ¡®Run¡¯ to get down the staircase. ¡°Let¡¯s umm, open it together.¡± He nodded, jamming his crowbar between the doors to create an opening for Vega to slide in her fingers and pull it apart. Several yellow lights floated at various heights in the otherwise deserted and dark hallway. ¡°There should be a generator room,¡± Dan spoke, not sure if the orbs were there by design or not. ¡°If only I had scan,¡± Farrah smirked, joining them. She was holding a bloody piece of cloth ¨C most likely an old tank top ¨C over four parallel gushes in her arm. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here on the lookout, you two go,¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this all for your quest?¡± Dan asked. He noticed the orbs started drifting towards him. Farrah let go of the makeshift bandage, pressing her arm against her chest to precariously maintain it in place. She shot down the orbs with a single precise burst. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll see if I can figure out some trap, and I¡¯ll join you. We can¡¯t allow ourselves to be cut off from the way out,¡± She said. Her conviction was enough for two, and Dan nodded. Vega was already halfway down the hallway, past the dimming orbs that lay on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll walkie-talkie to you,¡± Dan said. ¡°I don¡¯t have that skill. Just yell if things get bad. Vega would help if I¡¯m too far.¡± Farrah replied. ¡°Clear rooms before you go in, okay?¡± She patted him on the shoulder with her good hand, and the tip of the rifle that was in it. ¡°Yeah,¡± Dan nodded. There wasn¡¯t as much excitement and anticipation in the air as he would have thought when he stepped through the threshold of the OBELISK bunker. Chapter 16 - Tombs, Filled and no Longer Empty (2/3) The seven letters painted on the walls repeated every hundred or so meters, stared silently at Vega. She treaded hastily through the hallways, reading signs which directed them to the central control room a pace Dan couldn¡¯t quite keep up with. He was very vocal about that fact, and about how he didn¡¯t understand what the floating balls of light were and would have appreciated Vega examining one before killing them ¨C or at least slowing down. If Farrah were here, she¡¯d tell some nonsense about those being the souls of the dead, and that they should be treated with appropriate respect. Except no one who¡¯d died here had a soul, and those balls of light were just another horribly mutated creature. Vega felt an unparalleled sense of helplessness as she slammed open a ballasting door, and ran, practically jumping over clusters of steps, down the stairs that led some three storeys lower. Describing an absence of something was hard, but describing the withdrawal of a thought or a feeling mere seconds after it¡¯d been perceived was downright impossible. At some point, about two crossroads after they¡¯d reached the command floor, Vega was no longer sure if that deeply rooted sense of distress she was feeling was from flashbacks to everything that¡¯d happened in hallways just like these, or from that sense of distress vanishing the second it appeared, locking her in a loop of nothing but her thoughts. ¡°What is this?¡± Dan¡¯s question came muffled by the two or so hallways separating them. ¡°It can¡¯t be lichen, this place is pristine, what do you think ¨C Vega?¡± He yelled, his tone distressed. She gave him a few seconds to catch up, as she stared at the heavy ballistic doors that hid away the heart of this facility. She pressed her lips into a scowl. That wasn¡¯t quite right. It wasn¡¯t a heart, beating at the centre of it all. It was just another neuron in a network of synapses; a redundancy whose role could easily be taken by one of hundreds of others. ¡°There you are!¡± Daniel called out from the end of the hallway, as he cautiously walked towards the woman. The beam of his flashlight travelled along the ground, occasionally rising to the walls and ceiling to follow the flat growths along them. ¡°This is disgusting, I don¡¯t know what that is, but fuck is it everywhere and gross¡­¡± He stopped next to Vega and shone his flashlight over the door. A thin network of dry filaments and pellicles slid through the microscopic gaps between the doors and the surrounding walls and tiled floor. It wasn¡¯t that impressive in greyscale, but once the full nuances of oranges, yellows, browns and purples composing it came into light, Vega couldn¡¯t help but find herself short on breath. The network was layered, new filaments growing over dried ones that never decayed due to the staleness of the air, and the efficiency of the ventilation system. It wasn¡¯t alive, in that sense that lungs and nerves and ligaments stretched over dozens of meters never could be. But it wasn¡¯t undead or dead either. It just was. ¡°Is this ¡­¡± Vega never finished that thought. She wondered if this was what she was, just stuffed into the shape of a person and covered with skin, held together by an uncomfortably tight suit and routine tasks that gave the illusion of a purpose. ¡°Central command,¡± Dan read out the mostly hidden sign on the side of the door. ¡°What do you think is in it? I ¡­ I know I insisted on my bunker theory, but this ¡­ this is so ¨C I don¡¯t even have the words for it. It just feels wrong. This whole place does.¡± He didn¡¯t know half of it. ¡°I think you can put your weapons away. There¡¯s no one in there who¡¯ll fight back,¡± Vega spoke, before approaching the door.
Clay Palm Strike Internally shatter objects of over 2m in radius or side length from a selected point-source, determined by the position of the palm, without destroying the structural integrity of the object. Maximum object thickness cannot exceed object¡¯s smallest side length or diameter.
Expert
Cost: 1P per target per use.
The door shattered with a sound all too dry and crisp to belong exclusively to the metal and synthetic plastics that once composed it. With a kick, Vega knocked down one of the larger chunks formed by her skill, leading most of the left-hand door to collapse inwards. Daniel gasped and levelled his crossbow at one of the figures in the chairs that lined the circular room. The layer of those thinly spread organs was thicker on the inside of the control room. It covered everything from the screens and signalling panels on the walls, to the desks and chairs that ran along it. Shapes that were once humanoid lay buried under the network that grew thicker, almost bushy, over a conference table at the centre of the room.Stolen story; please report. It was hard to pinpoint the origin of this organic layer. So, Vega did the next best thing and sank her hands into one of the thicker nodes, and pulled with all her System-granted strength. A wail filled the room, its source impossible to pinpoint, as the lungs and throats producing it were spread so thin over this dimension and the adjacent one, that natural laws no longer applied to them. The sound filled the room, and ran through the hallways, knocking Dan back, finally able to escape the place that¡¯d kept it prisoner for years. Vega realised her mistake the very next second, as layers upon layers of dried film collapsed over her.
Tiger¡¯s claw Without any physical modifications, the user¡¯s hand-nails become razor-sharp like claws. Any natural real material within immediate reach can be ripped.
Expert
Cost: 1P per 50 minutes of use. Free to cancel.
She ripped through the web of dried flesh and mutated guts with a scream of panic. Panic that persisted the second she breathed in fresh air again, and felt that unnatural calmness take over her mind. She wasn¡¯t in control, she¡¯d never been. She clawed at the cluster of bones and residual muscle just because she could. In the deafening orchestra of her unregulated breathing, that dry and still living film collapsing under its own weight around her, she heard a finger being moved over a crossbow trigger. She snapped around, and Dan took several hasty steps back. He looked terrified. So, Vega tilted her head in that unnerving way the creatures outside did, before ripping into the pile of non-distinct dried flesh again. She gave him a good two seconds to fire. But when he didn¡¯t she raised a confused eyebrow. ¡°Vega?¡± He asked, failing, or perhaps not really trying, to mask his shaky voice. ¡°Are you back in control? Is everything good?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but nervously chuckle at his words. ¡°Control, umm, was not the thing I, umm, lost,¡± She said, deactivating her skill. ¡°I think one of those is responsible for ¡®Weave¡¯. Umm, I¡¯m not sure they can be fully separated from one another anymore, so best not to risk it in case they were double-casting and it¡¯d mess with, umm, Farrah¡¯s domain thing.¡± Dan looked at her incredulously. Then he shone his flashlight around the room, which he awkwardly tried to balance under his crossbow in his non-dominant hand. Eventually, he conceded, not without a string of swears directed at the ex-employees, before heading up to a terminal. Vega didn¡¯t pay full attention to what he was doing and headed back out the hallway. Although it¡¯d been minutes, it seemed the echoes of those screams were still echoing back and forth, between the ever-shut access door, and this room that¡¯d decisively not been a heart. ¡°Do you think killing them would be the right thing to do?¡± Dan¡¯s voice did not drown out those echoes. ¡°Vega, fuck, where did-¡± She returned to the command room. The dried and living flesh cracked under her footsteps. It was easier to tell without the insides of the scientist and technicians sprawled out all over the walls, but Vega now knew for sure she¡¯d never been here before. And worse yet, she still didn¡¯t remember how she went from the facility she was last into the one where she¡¯d woken up. If Farrah were here, she caught herself thinking, she¡¯d help her look. She¡¯d distract her for long enough for her not to notice her mind rearranging itself to keep herself combat-ready. But both of those, memories and Farrah, were things she didn¡¯t and couldn¡¯t have right now. So she focused on what was there. ¡°I think they no longer feel pain in the same way you do, so killing them won¡¯t achieve much beyond personal satisfaction and hampering Farrah¡¯s loadout,¡± She answered. There was a long pause, uncharacteristic for Dan. His hands were tense as his fingers moved ever so slightly, unable to stay still while he typed something with his mind over a screen only he could see. Then, deep within the facility, the generator turned back on with a disconcertingly low hum. The lights turned on one by one. They were a sorry imitation of sunlight, that Vega would never again accept as a substitute. Dan still remained silent. Clearly whatever he didn¡¯t reply earlier was more important to him than the achievement of resuscitating this facility. But Vega wasn¡¯t going to pry. They¡¯d passed two levels with prison cells, earlier when they were rushing down the stairs here. She gathered up the resolve to ask Dan to centrally unlock those so she could go up and check if anyone was still alive, in the conventional definition of the word. ¡°Daniel,¡± She spoke. She hoped he¡¯d pick up on her request before she had to ask, but he didn¡¯t. His gaze quickly shifted between a file directory and some list displayed on a separate monitor. He mumbled a ¡®no¡¯, before typing into the physical keyboard before him, and checking a different list. ¡°Umm, could you unlock the, umm, access to all cells on floors 3 and 4?¡± Vega asked. Her fingers had somehow found their way around one of the forearm straps on her suit. ¡°Yeah, sure, I saw it literally five seconds ago, it¡¯s-¡± he didn¡¯t turn around, and from his tone, it seemed he was only half-paying attention to her. She could have easily gone up and checked herself if only she were able to break the glass bay windows of the cells. ¡°It¡¯s already open?¡± he didn¡¯t sound too sure. ¡°You¡¯re gonna check those out? Send me a message if you find the access codes to the main servers. It should be a 12-character password, and three series of pin codes, 5 numbers each. I¡¯ll get what I can from this, but if you don¡¯t find anything,¡± he paused, looking up, but not around. He couldn¡¯t see Vega¡¯s reflection in any of the monitors, on account of the screens being too bright, but it didn¡¯t seem like he was looking at those as much as he was looking through them. ¡°If I find what I¡¯m looking for here, don¡¯t wait up.¡± The faint shuffling proper to someone with two feet came from upstairs, and Vega quickly agreed before rushing up. However, the second she dashed through the third-floor door, she was met with a hallway full of those awful mutated creatures. -- Announcement Hey there! Just wanted to quickly pop in and say that this story isn''t going on hiatus! I have something going on irl, and it''s been taking a lot of spoons to deal with. I am about halfway through the last part of this chapter, and I plan to post three times a week as soon as the nonsense irl stops. I don''t want a repeat of what happened with New Paris, and hopefully I''m in a better place this time, mentally, to prevent that. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Thank you for your patience! <3 Cheers, Eve. Chapter 16 - Tombs, Filled and no Longer Empty (3/3) Farrah leaned against the wall on the left side of the heavy blast door the other two had gone through. She already had two cigarette buds in her pocket, and she knew she needed to go in and join the other two, but she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to do so. What would happen when she walked over that threshold and found OBELISK? What would happen when her last quest resolved? What would she become? She slowly exhaled the smoke, before taking another drag. Being left alone with her thoughts and feelings for the first time in weeks was strange. It wasn¡¯t as if she couldn¡¯t have asked for space, or walked some distance ahead of or behind the duo to think. It wasn¡¯t as if she was staling now, too afraid of the inevitable that she refused to accept. She opened her tin and looked at the two cigarettes inside. She clicked it shut with her thumb and ran her finger over the weathered paint on its front. It depicted a two-headed lion, above a gold ribbon that ran around the tin, proudly displaying its original brand. Farrah had always meant to get the paint off, and she¡¯d even scavenged the correct solvent for the job. But she¡¯d never found the time, somehow. She¡¯d never found the time to stop in this hunt for quests and breathe; wonder why she was doing it and how it would end. Farrah chuckled at the irony of it all. She wasn¡¯t afraid of death, as it was a natural part of human life. She¡¯d never been afraid of what came after. That was one of the few certainties she had in life. And yet, she wasn¡¯t embracing her path. She wasn¡¯t turning the last page of her story. She looked up, into the mess of cables and textured metal that made up her only escape. She knew where OBELISK was now. She¡¯d known for a few weeks. All its bases were marked on her map, and she could go years ¨C hell, the rest of her life ¨C without ever setting foot in one. Following a silent command, her screen appeared before her.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Goals ¡¤ Find the OBELISK
Give Up
She knew it said ¡®the¡¯ and not ¡®a¡¯. Not an OBELISK facility; she¡¯d already found one of those before either way. So there was still hope that nothing would happen if she crossed the threshold. But that wasn¡¯t what she wanted either. She didn¡¯t want to spend her life running from some arbitrarily-assigned goal. She wanted to live goddammit! With those thoughts, and with a freshly-lit cigarette between her lips, she entered the facility.
Domain entered: Technology
Farrah didn¡¯t have time to swear as code flashed before her eyes, promptly followed by another message.
Domain entered: Warren
Hello This is Dan Found the servers Go find Vega Please
Burning cigarette between her fingers, she ran down the corridor, following the trail of dead orbs, whose bodies no longer shone with the light of their souls. The smoke created a trail behind her, that vanished into the silent darkness after being briefly illuminated by her flashlight.
Got mensphaera info No codes
Farrah wondered just how far Dan¡¯s skills extended for him to send messages like this through the System. ¡°Vega!¡± She shouted as she lept over the stairs¡¯ guardrail using a skill to drop onto the landing some three meters below.
This is insane This whole thing ¨C the System This changes what we are
¡°Daniel!¡± She yelled again. He was clearly having a moment, and if she was going to have to jump into combat, she couldn¡¯t have those screens randomly pop up and block her field of view.
It redefines our understanding of reality
¡°Amazing,¡± Farrah muttered with sarcasm, as she tried to open the single blast door marked with a ¡®1¡¯. It didn¡¯t give in, and she rammed into it.
Strength Increases the user strength without altering the physical form for up to 25 minutes.
Expert
Cost: 1P per up to 4,905N. 2P for 4,905N after 402,210 N. Free to cancel.
Domain benefit: Not applicable.
The door caved inwards, as it bent where Farrah¡¯s shoulder hit it, before its upper edge dislodged from the rail which housed it. Farrah grabbed its handle before it could hit the floor, and jammed it into the dedicated space in the wall, just enough so that it wouldn¡¯t fall on its own.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. She took a drag of her cigarette, before extinguishing it and throwing it into a bin. ¡°Vega?¡± She called out, as she made her way down the administrative-looking hallway. Doing this blindly was nerve-wracking. The dim red light that only created deeper shadows at the centre of the hallways did nothing to ease her nerves. And after taking a turn into a deserted corridor, Farrah decided to turn back. If Vega was here, nothing betrayed her presence.
I need to tell you this in person Come down Farrah Just you
The screen startled the woman, and her finger moved too close to the trigger of her Steyr AUG for her liking. A shadow moved at the edge of her vision, and she snapped around, pressing her back against the wall, as she squinted, trying to make out if it¡¯s been just a trick of the light. It moved again, too fluid to be one of the mutated armoured guards. Farrah cautiously advanced, as the shadow travelled again along a predefined path once more. Just as it began its fourth journey along the floor, Farrah¡¯s flashlight drowned it out. Before her, a woman swung from a ceiling lamp. The neon had caved in, but not fully given in under her weight. She looked like she¡¯d passed no earlier than yesterday, as her skin hadn¡¯t decomposed or dried out, and the makings on her neck were a bright purple. When she swayed from side to side again, she turned her head, and her eyes locked on Farrah. She groaned, almost phrasing it as a question, before agitating her arms, as she tried to get down. Farrah took a step back, and hastily ran back down the hallway, cursing her hiking boots with each deafening step. She took a right, then another right, then a left, but the stairway wasn¡¯t there. Instead the doors of ¡®meeting room 19c¡¯ greeted her. Someone had taped the doors, in messy overlapping black, brown, and transparent X¡¯s, unable to get the horizontal handles locked in any other way. Farrah took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and mentally retraced her steps. A loud noise came from where she¡¯d just been. It couldn¡¯t have been anything other than a walking corpse falling off a ceiling lamp. Curious moans and scratches came from within the meeting room. Farrah forced herself to regain focus and retrace her steps again. She nodded to herself, and ran back, this time unbothered by the noises she was making. The hanged woman ambushed her from behind a corner. She lept at Farrah, shoving her to the ground. She¡¯d raised her rifle just in time to use it as a shield, but the woman still managed to get her claws into Farrah¡¯s face, scratching her cheeks, and very nearly avoiding her piercings. Farrah rolled to the side, before moving an arm to cover her face, and ramming the butt of her Steyr AUG into the woman¡¯s stomach. The zombie groaned and moved aside just enough for Farrah to get back on her feet. She stomped over the woman¡¯s ankles. No crack came, and she swore under her breath as the creature grabbed her shoes. Vega had made this seem so easy. A symphony of hungry moans came from where the tape had given in to the dozens of bodies pushing against it from within the conference room.
Farrah hurry
The Collector could have really done without the extra pressure. She ran to the stairway, activating her ¡®Ammo Efficiency¡¯ skill. A silent rocket brought down the ceiling of the hallway behind her, as she dashed to the second underground floor. ¡°Vega?¡± She yelled, breaking through the door, and stumbling to regain balance. The red hallway lights seemed to be full of disapproval, but Farrah had passed the point of feeling guilty for property damage. ¡°Vega!¡± She yelled again. Knocking and scratching came within the walls as a response, quickly followed by a swarm of orbs pouring out from every vent and every lamp. Another rocket brought down the hallway a good twenty meters ahead. But more than three dozen of the mutated things had already slipped through. They latched onto Farrah, and she struggled to shove them off. They couldn¡¯t quite burn through the leather or denim, but one had attached itself to her cheek, delivering an electric shock before being yanked off. Several tried to slip through the tears in her sleeve, and Farrah realised that her best bet at this point was finding Vega. She stumbled down the stairs. The balls hummed and synchronised tiny shocks rippled over Farrah¡¯s body. It wasn¡¯t the unbearable kind of painful, but she missed a step and landed on her wounded arm. Only fear of getting totally overrun helped her to get up as quickly as she did. ¡°Vega!¡± She yelled, covering her mouth with a gloved hand. Another fuzzing followed by another shock came. This time she braced herself against the wall. The fuckers were fast, and even without attaching themselves to her skin, they created an electrical envelope around her. The door on this stairway was open and groans and the unmistakable sound of tearing into flesh came from behind it. Farrah didn¡¯t hesitate as she ran in, towards the sound. She ran past the dozens of disfigured corpses that lined the hallway. She almost fell over again under a synchronised attack of the swarm and an incontinently placed severed leg. But she couldn¡¯t slow down. She needed to get those things off before they fully synced to her heartbeat. She had zero faith in either of her companions resuscitating her, and she hadn¡¯t seen a single defibrillator yet, not that she¡¯d been looking. ¡°Vega!¡± She called out, almost pleading when she spotted the white and black suit of the woman. White, black, and red. She let go of the corpse she¡¯d been using as a shield against an onslaught on zombies, and stepped into the hallway, from within a large holding cell. More zombies rushed towards her, from the part of the facility that she hadn¡¯t had the time to clear. Time seemed to stop once more, as her blood-red eyes looked through Farrah, seeing something that wasn¡¯t there, perhaps even seeing her fate as one of the many dismembered zombies on the floor and walls. Another message from Dan popped before her, but she couldn¡¯t look away from the woman. There was something wrong in that gaze of hers, it was as if her soul was perpetually bleeding from a wound that tried but ever-failed to close itself, and everyone but her could see it. Then a shock came, and Farrah grabbed her chest, falling to her knees. That one had been too close, too well-timed. Black dots overtook the red and brown around her, as she tried to force herself to focus on the present; on how to get out of this alive by herself because she¡¯d miscalculated. The next thing she knew, she was pulled up to her feet and pushed back with a speed too quick to keep track of. She crashed into a wall, and her heavy rucksack did nothing to lighten the blow on her back. She groaned in pain, as she rubbed her eyes. Farrah got a hold of herself just in time to see Vega knock the balls of energy to the ground with a sweeping kick. When Vega looked up at Farrah, it was as if they were back at that road by Lowborne Cemetery. Except this time Farrah didn¡¯t have the time to unpack if it was weariness, fear, or rage hiding behind the woman¡¯s expression, or whom those emotions were directed towards. She levelled her rifle and shot down the four of the creatures that¡¯d crept the closest to Vega. ¡°We need to get out of here,¡± She ordered, before nodding to the hallway she¡¯d come from. Blood ran down the walls, slowly bringing small bits of flesh down to the hallway. The mixture of Farrah¡¯s yellow and the ambient emergency-red lights gave the place an all too uncanny feel. She gave Vega another directional nod before leading the way.
¡°Took you long enough-¡± ¡°What are those things?¡± Farrah interrupted the man, as she pointed one of the knots of nerves and tissue that faintly spasmed over a conference table at the centre of the room. ¡°They were the admins,¡± Vega replied. ¡°I think they couldn¡¯t leave so they evolved. Not in the same way those monsters were made, but how the System was designed to make the, umm, them evolve. Through skills merging and, umm,-¡± ¡°Are you back to normal now? Whatever your normal is-¡± ¡°Did you record everything you found? We need to leave.¡± Farrah cut both of them off, satisfied enough with Vega¡¯s explanation. ¡°Yes, but you need to hear this, like, right now. There is a higher dimension above this one, that can be tapped into to change the rules of the universe. But OBELISK, those fuckers, they locked access to it so I can¡¯t edit my code-¡± A deafening crash came from somewhere far, far above. ¡°Amazing¡­¡± Farrah muttered with almost venomous sarcasm. It couldn¡¯t have been anything but something getting through the helipad. ¡°What exactly did you fiddle with?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± Dan exclaimed, making a dramatic hand gesture. The second he took his hands off the workstation keyboard, an alarm rang, and the sound of a mechanism activating came from the control room door. Neons turned off, replaced by the same emergency red ones as on the upper floors, and the large blast doors collapsed on the ground, as something tried and failed to keep them close. Metallic scratching came from within the doorframe, and two of the mutated walkers crawled out of it. Four more soon followed, their footsteps dampened by the film of dry skin and deformed organs covering the floor of the hallway. Farrah nodded. She doubted this cavalry would have turned up for anything other than a serious security breach. Her suspicion was fully confirmed when a roar ¨C a sound between a war cry and a hand break being pulled in a car dashing on a highway ¨C came from down the hall, followed by heavy stomps. ¡°The heck is that?¡± Dan¡¯s voice shook as he pointed his crossbow at the structure of concrete and plates shambling towards them. Farrah scoffed. ¡°Tech heavy. They hit hard, but there¡¯s a lot of real estate to shoot at.¡± None of the zombies dared to cross into the part of the control room that wasn¡¯t covered in flesh and nerves. ¡°How ¨C who ¨C how did they become those, umm, monsters?¡± Vega asked. Grey energy formed around her fists, and a thin could of white enveloped her body. She was getting ready, but it was clear she had no idea what she was up against, and Farrah didn¡¯t have the time to explain. ¡°They can¡¯t leap like the derelict heavies, but are extremely fast,¡± She gave the best rundown she could, before glancing back at Dan. A transparent blue screen had appeared before him, and he held his crossbow like a man who¡¯d try his darn hardest to use it. ¡°On my mark, we move up. Vega and I will clear the way, take cover if you need, but don¡¯t trail behind. We don¡¯t want to be surrounded.¡± ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°I did not ¨C I guess it¡¯s expected. I¡¯m ready,¡± Dan replied. Farrah quickly checked how much Power she had.
Last Stand - Self - Stacked: 5
Farrah didn¡¯t open her ¡®Stats¡¯ window again to the updated Power and Luck values. If her math was correct, she was at 3415 Power. And her Luck had dropped to 1 for the next 24 hours. ¡°Go,¡± She opened fire. Chapter 17 - Stairway out of Hell (1/2) The mutated zombies waited, like guard dogs who fulfilled their jobs by trapping the intruders inside the house, forcing them to await their master¡¯s return and punishment.
Caliber Change Modify the bullet diameter without modifying the ammunition of a firearm. Requires individual attunement to each new weapon.
Trained >>> Expert
Cost: 1P per 5 mm of bore diameter increase. No maximum.
Domain benefit Two additional levels of mastery.
Cartridge change Modify the bullet type without modifying the base ammunition of a firearm. Requires individual attunement to each new weapon.
Trained >>> Expert
Cost: 1P for cartridge body change. 1P for bullet head change. 2P for propellant type change. 2P for primer change. 1P for rim change.
Domain benefit Two additional levels of mastery.
An anti-tank missile hit the mech that silently took it before lounging at Farrah. That thing had only maintained the proportions of its former human self. It barely fit through the broken blast door, and the nests of nerves and flesh that were once the admins of this place pulsated in discontent as its metal feet trampled over them. Two more missiles hit it, and it fell in its tracks, collapsing mere centimetres away from Dan¡¯s blue shield. Vega had long since run past it. With two piles of metal at her feet, she punched clean through the chest of another, before moving further down. ¡°Seven more incoming!¡± She yelled and fully vanished down the corridor. Farrah silently ran past the heavy, leaping over its outstretched meter-thick arm. Dan followed, choosing to go around it. He shot ahead, into the hallway. The bolt fizzled and burned before hitting the ground, creating a fluorescent yellow trail in its wake. It illuminated a small pile of metal moving along the walls. As soon as the light hit them, they dropped down, forming into their humanoid shapes. Farrah shot down two, and Dan hit one that was still moving down the wall. ¡°Vega!¡± Farrah called out, ¡°Where are they coming from? Block the vents!¡± An explosion came as her sole reply. Dan glanced at her, and she nodded, as he ran forwards, and she yanked his crossbow bolt out of the wall before catching up. ¡°Don¡¯t waste them on light-¡± They took a turn and found themselves in a blocked hallway. The mingled carcass of a mech blocked the hallway. Its metal-plated face, still recognisable as human, looked at them with empty camera lenses. Blood, thinned by the translucent oil that pumped through the creature alongside it, dripped down its head, filling up one of its bulbous eyes. ¡°Amazing,¡± Farrah allowed herself a touch of sarcasm, before tossing her rucksack through a small gap between the heavy¡¯s shoulder and the ceiling, and gesturing for Dan to go. He didn¡¯t complain, and by the look in his eyes, seemed to have started to disassociate from the situation. He struggled to get a good foothold over the slippery corpse but eventually made his way through. Farrah shot down two more of the mutated walkers and quickly followed. She shot a fire grenade in the direction of the hallway for good measure. Something between a weep and a screech came from further down the hallway, as the pellicle of stretch-out organs caught fire. The contact of flesh and metal felt familiar and alarmingly comforting, yet the first thing Farrah did when she made it to the other side was to pull her facemask over her mouth and nose. The stench of burning organs, somehow distinct from the smell of burning flesh, was too pungent for her. Dan coughed into his sleeve and they continued down the hallway. It took them less than a minute of following metal corpses to finally catch up to Vega. ¡°What do I do with them?¡± Vega asked, nodding towards the stairway shaft. The walls were covered with shifting metal and flesh parts. It was impossible to say where any single zombie ended, and another began. The small balls of electricity were drifting down like benthic snow, and the only thing that prevented them from fully covering the trio was Dan¡¯s shied, which he moved above the group. ¡°Nothing,¡± Farrah shook her head. Killing this many was a waste of bullets, even by her quadruple digit Power standards.
Path Prediction Predict the path(s) that all selected enemies in a 100m range will take. Visualise the paths for up to 10 minutes.
Novice >>> Mastered
Cost: 3P to activate. 10P for range extension by 20m. 10P for duration extension of 1min. 25P to create visual non-tangible manifestation of predicted paths.
Domain benefit Two additional levels of mastery.
This was a bit of a waste of Power, in Farrah¡¯s opinion, but she preferred to air on the safer side. Blue strips appeared in the air, showing that none of the humanoid zombies intended to come all the way down, into Vega¡¯s reach. It seemed more than half of them were also using corpses from the upper levels as makeshift shields against gunfire. They had no way of assessing how futile that was, but the sole fact that they were capable of such organisation alarmed the Collector. ¡°So we wait them out?¡± Dan asked. ¡°No,¡± Farrah decisively stated. That was what likely happened to those bundles of nerves and organs in the central command. Not only was that not a desired outcome for any situation, Farrah was also unsure about the duration and effects of the skills that were still blocking her scan. She raised her Steyr AUG and nodded at Dan. ¡°What?¡± he asked, too stressed to grasp her meaning.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Open the shield.¡± ¡°Umm, with the, umm, glowing-¡± ¡°Now, Dan,¡± Farrah firmly ordered. The blue glass-like ceiling above them vanished, and dozens of balls of energy collapsed down. Vega yanked Dan backwards, into the hallway, as a gunshot echoed through the stairway, and the balls above Farrah caught fire. She shielded her face with one hand, before taking a step back, and fired a volley of Martlet¡¯s upwards. Too much whining and screeching came down, partially drowned out by the deafening sound of metal-on-metal explosions. Or maybe Farrah imagined all of it, as she suddenly realised, she couldn¡¯t hear whatever it was Vega was yelling at her. Droplets of blood and metal shavings rained from the ceiling. The stairway began to swirl around, as it regained its blue hue. Vega grabbed Farrah by the sleeve, asking something. Farrah tapped her ear, yelling that she couldn¡¯t hear, before pointing upwards and telling the duo to move it. The stairway was the one to move under them. Farrah hadn¡¯t made it past the first landing, as it started collapsing under her feet, and the weight of the dead zombies above. She yelled at Vega to go, before grabbing Dan by the shoulders and activating her run and jump skills. Her vision went blurry from the sudden accelerated movement, and before she knew it, she was laying on the floor, over Dan, freshly-dried blood under them, and blue shield over their heads. Her hearing returned just in time to hear his racing heartbeat. ¡°Move away from the door!¡± She shouted at Vega, before rolling to the side and shooting a missile at the ceiling some few meters in front of them. The next few seconds were filled with nothing but uneven panting, and the equally uneven blinking of Farrah¡¯s camping flashlight. ¡°We made it¡­¡± Vega whispered. She was leaning against a wall, facing away from the group. ¡°Made it? We just walled ourselves in!¡± Dan exclaimed, pushing himself up on his elbows. ¡°We¡¯re as good as dead now, the access codes ¨C the intel ¨C what are we-¡± Vega extended a hand, and he finally got up. ¡°Tell me you¡¯ve got a plan,¡± He turned towards Farrah. His tone was firm and cold. He didn¡¯t sound the least bit remorseful for the part he played in triggering this onslaught. Farrah glanced up, at the ceiling. Then, she turned towards Vega and gave her a knowing smile. ¡°More explosives? Seriously?¡± Dan picked up on the silent exchange. ¡°What happened to your whole calculated persona? I thought you were the one who always took a step back and thought about safety or some shit¡­¡± Farrah didn¡¯t have it her to chuckle, but she felt like she should in this moment. ¡°We are stranded, blind, with a small hoard blocking our exit. I think this is exactly the kind of problem,¡± She raised her Steyr AUG to the ceiling ahead of them, ¡°That a rocket or anything over a .60 would solve.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Vega called out, grabbing Farrah¡¯s shooting arm. Dan was just as surprised at the interruption as Farrah herself. He seemed almost relieved, and his shield flickered before he decided to keep it above him. Farrah nodded at Vega to continue. ¡°I heard, umm,¡± Vega let go of Farrah¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Someone call out from, umm, the medical labs,¡± she nodded up ahead. The trio went silent for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t hear anything,¡± Dan spoke up, and Farrah nodded in agreement. ¡°The exit was in that direction anyway,¡± Farrah gestured forward with the tip of her gun, ¡°This floor seems emptier than the other ones, so the more distance we cover here, the less we¡¯ll have to cover up there.¡± ¡°You really didn¡¯t have a plan, huh,¡± Dan made a small movement with his head, before realising that he should probably conceal his mixture of disgust, annoyance, and fear. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve seen worse on the surface,¡± Farrah patted Dan¡¯s shoulder. She herself could not decide if that was a lie or not. But the next words she said were sincere. ¡°The hallways funnel them and force them to spread out. Those heavies won¡¯t fit here either. We have a tactical advantage.¡± ¡°Umm,¡± As if in response to her words, a loud groan came from the collapsed hallway. A shiver ran down Farrah¡¯s spine, as she heard a Tech heavy¡¯s cry for the first time in her life. She nodded for the other two to follow her, as she confidently strode through the hallway.
¡°This is the future we deserve, we are unworthy of the light above, un-evolved-¡± ¡°Dan, could you please stop?¡± Vega pleaded after he read out yet another set of graffiti written on the walls in multicoloured whiteboard marker. There were equations and a mixture of code and its plain-language equivalent scribbled on the walls among the ominous messages. Farrah could tell apart three sets of handwriting, but for all she knew there could have been more. She tried her best to ignore the smell of blood that came from most of the closed doors lining these hallways. Sometimes chlorine did a good job of masking it, other times she hastened her pace, hoping that Dan wouldn¡¯t pick up on it, or Vega wouldn¡¯t get the bright idea of trying to look inside. Charters were pinned to some of the doors, filled with typed-out medical jargon. Farrah didn¡¯t want to read it, but she did glance at Vega every so often to check if the noise the woman had heard had come from any of these doors. ¡°We are the - we make,¡± Dan read another graffiti, omitting the word ¡®gods¡¯. Vega made a discontent noise and shivered, with arms wrapped around her shoulders. A metal screech came from above, too close for Farrah¡¯s liking. She felt as if these tech zombies were smarter than the wild lot, but she didn¡¯t have enough mastery of this domain to back up this gut feeling. ¡°What?¡± Dan gave Vega a glance. ¡°They weren¡¯t wrong. With access to the mensphere, they would have been superhumans.¡± ¡°And where are your superhumans now?¡± Vega muttered. ¡°You can¡¯t claim those things in the CC are the next step in human evolution ¨C or that the monsters outside - ¡± The screeching came again, and Farrah hushed the duo with a hand gesture. Then, she told gestured with her palm for them to get behind her. The noise came again, and rebar was pushed through the ceiling. Thin cables, pulsing with stale blood pushed it through, causing the surrounding concrete to crumble. Before the hole could get wide enough for a zombie to crawl through, Farrah shot a rocket at it. She gestured for the group to keep moving, and quickly checked her stats. She had over 2500 power, but if they had 4 floors to go, that was cutting it tight. ¡°Keep moving,¡± She hissed at the two. ¡°Help-¡± A muffled plea came from deeper within the facility. Everyone froze, as if unsure of what they¡¯d just heard, or in Vega¡¯s case waiting for orders. A screeching noise from above snapped them out of that shared trance. ¡°Come on!¡± Farrah sprinted on ahead, activating her run skill. The distance was very short, and she was running fast, but she¡¯d had the time to make out several more writings on the wall that became more and more unhinged and shaky with each subsequent door. ¡®Our hands are those of god and our blood he will rise¡¯ and ¡®the sun is for those who cannot touch infinity¡¯ were among the top contenders. ¡°Is anyone ¨C please-¡± The voice came again from behind one of the medical doors. ¡°What ¨C are you waiting for?¡± Dan asked, catching his breath, as he joined Farrah. ¡°Vega,¡± Farrah nodded towards the door, as she stepped forward, her back against the opposing wall of the hallway. She travelled her gaze along its concrete walls, still dimly lit buy red emergency lights. The multi-coloured writings gave the walls an uncanny texture. In this light, it almost looked as if someone had tried to wipe blood off their skin, but gave out hallway through, after smearing it into a thin layer. The door got broken down more gracefully than Farrah had expected. She caught a glimpse of shadows swaying from the ceiling, but her gaze did not linger, and the shocked string of swears with a Mainlander accent told her that Vega had dealt with whatever zombies were inside. The conversation that ensued was muffled and incohesive. The test subject was confused at best, concussed at worst, and Dan eventually concluded with: ¡°Do you mind if we take you with us?¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Outside ¨C then, I don¡¯t know,¡± He dwelled on those words for a few seconds, the realisation that this had all been for nought weighing on him. Or maybe the man they were talking to replied something Farrah couldn¡¯t make out over the noise of another of the armoured zombies breaking through the ceiling. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± She entered the room after blocking off yet another hallway. The man strapped into a medial chair snapped in her direction, looking through her, and clearly struggling to focus on her. He had black, iris-less eyes, and long hair, several shades whiter than Vega¡¯s. It ran down his shoulders, down to his waist, and did nothing to cover the state of undress he was in. His skin was an unnatural pale white. Farrah could swear she could see his heart and his lungs moving in irregular bursts under his ribcage. A combination of skin and cables ran from his back and was perhaps the reason why neither Dan, who¡¯d pulled out his crowbar, nor Vega had tried to get him out of the chair yet. It was unclear if those extensions, not dissimilar to the pellicle the high-ups from the CC had become were part of him, had been grafted onto him, or if they were the thing keeping him alive. ¡°What are those?¡± Farrah gestured to the uneven almost wing-like flesh. The man¡¯s eyes flashed blue. ¡°The emergency stairway is free,¡± He replied instead. ¡°Right, Vega can you break those?¡± Farrah mimicked his restraints on her own wrist. She approached the man, whose eyes flashed blue again. ¡°You didn¡¯t ¨C find it?¡± He asked, looking up at Farrah. Farrah tilted his head up trying to ignore how cold his skin felt under the ungloved parts of her fingers.
Vitals Check Allows to examine all mental and physical unresolved conditions affecting the target.
Expert
Cost: 1P per use per target. 5P per day of previous conditions access.
Domain benefit Two additional levels of mastery. 75% chance to change category of skill to the most mastered one.
Conditions: None
That didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t freshly recovered from a drug-induced condition, a concussion, or dehydration, but it meant that the tubing plugged into his spine was not doing anything either. ¡°I¡¯m going to cut this, okay?¡± Farrah swung her Steyr AUG over her shoulder and unsoldered a hatchet. She moved aside to give Vega enough space to break the restraints with the side of her palm. She waited a few more seconds for the man to give any form of consent or even acknowledgement that he heard her. Dan had moved towards the door, crossbow at the ready, when a reply finally came: ¡°Yes, do it. There are no dimensions where pain and flesh are not -¡± He got taken over by a coughing fit, and as he leaned forward, bringing his hand over his mouth, Farrah brought down the hatchet. ¡°Hurry up, damn it!¡± Dan nervously called out. The five newly formed thin incisions perpendicular to his ribs let out a surprising amount of blood. Vega quickly intervened, pulling a t-shirt out of the top of Farrah¡¯s rucksack and pressing it over them. When Farrah yanked on the tubing, it did not give out. ¡°Cut it,¡± The man muttered, slowly regaining his breath. She did as she was told. Vega had already pulled him over her shoulder and was halfway out the door by the time Farrah holstered her hatchet. She gave the tubing, that now limply hung from the ceiling, along the unidentifiable stretches of flesh, one last glance. Translucent blue-ish liquid was starting to puddle at the floor, no doubt a mixture of whatever they put in IVs and some non-detectable drugs. She gave the four corpses, all taken down from their noose-shaped perches a quick glance, and activated her run skill to follow the other two down the non-collapsed hallway. Chapter 17 - Stairway out of Hell (2/2) Dan froze when he reached the hallway leading to the bunker access shaft. With Vega carrying that man, and Farrah destroying hallways as they advanced, he had somehow taken the lead. Perhaps that was why he felt even more so responsible for the crawling agglomeration of flesh, bone, and whatever goo the mutations were made of that shifted on itself up ahead. They hadn¡¯t breached the threshold into the bunker, no doubt stopped by any of the three dozens of skills the board members ¨C or whoever those piles of nerves and skin used to be ¨C kept active, and that he hadn¡¯t had the time to deactivate or read. But that changed absolutely nothing. ¡°Fuck,¡± Farrah swore, finally catching up. ¡°Sir,¡± Vega nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t agree with her!¡± Dan snapped. He was concerned the next thing the girls were going to agree on was that this was all somehow his fault. ¡°The sun is ¨C close,¡± The man smiled. Dan gave him a glance, and something tightened in his chest. All the uncalled-for self-deprecating thoughts vanished, as he saw the very thing he sought in that man¡¯s eyes: the blue-coloured screen that would finally give him agency over his own death. Vega leaned forth, to make eye contact, and he shivered and looked away as she spoke: ¡°Amplify your invisibility to Mastered, and use an amplified weave to combine it with Farrah¡¯s environmental camouflage and my arena, both at novice.¡± It took Dan a second to register what she was suggesting. ¡°Where do you want me to get weave from?¡± He asked. The answer came to him before Vega had the time to reply. He could clone it from those things downstairs, cast it five times to gain it at untrained, and then follow Vega¡¯s plan. He folded three fingers, as he did the mental math of how much that¡¯d cost. Farrah sighed, making him aware that she could do that same math in seconds if she knew what he was calculating, but didn¡¯t comment. She nodded at Vega, confirming their plan, and walked forward, her rifle at the ready for the possibility of the zombies breaking through. ¡°Just to confirm,¡± Dan spoke, looking at the shorter woman, ¡°The plan is to just walk through there?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bone heavy, that¡¯s a field wraith, and all those non-distinct ones are walkers,¡± Farrah replied, pointing at one of the many of each type of zombie. ¡°They¡¯re all crawling on the floor because they shattered their legs jumping or falling from up there. I have no way of mapping how many more there are, but my bullets will be of much better use up there than in the sole narrow shaft we need to take to escape. Let¡¯s go,¡± she gestured forward with her rifle. ¡°I¡¯m just asking because this will use pretty much all my power,¡± Dan paused for a second, then added the part he did not want to say out loud with a shaky voice, ¡°I¡¯ll be dead weight after this.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got your back,¡± Farrah said without turning around. He could tell she nodded from the way her sweaty and blood-soaked ponytail moved. She most likely meant it, but even if she didn¡¯t, it wasn¡¯t as if Dan could get out any other way. ¡°Legs first, questions never, as they say,¡± Dan tried to reassure himself with a movie quote as he started walking forward. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means,¡± Vega replied as if the comment was directed at her. As he got closer and closer to the invisible boundary, he activated each skill in succession.
Skill Amplifier Increases the mastery level and domain benefits of all known and usable skills used within a cone range of a chosen source and height of up to 50 meters.
Expert
Cost: 1P per up to 4 levels of mastery increase. 2P per level of domain mastery increase.
Domain Benefit: 30% chance of choosing to cast dependant skill instead. 85% chance of skill being free.
Then came the tricky part.
Clone Skill Use once a known or unknown skill used by a target within a 5 km range within the last 5 days. A 25% cost reduction is applied to known skills.
Trained >> Expert
Cost: 7P to cast. 2P per extra target. 4P to clone additional skill from the same target. 1P per range extension of 1km.
Domain Benefit: Free extension of the skill to 5 additional targets. 70% chance of skill being free.
He spammed weave. A screen bipped in front of him, notifying Dan that he¡¯d just gained the skill, but he wasted an extra 7 power casting it again as a clone before he processed that. He quickly checked his Power, and was reassured to see it sitting still in the high 2700¡¯s. ¡°Okay, here goes,¡± he spoke.
Invisibility Make the target invisible in the 50m to 5¦Ìm wavelength within a radius of up to 5km around the target for up to 1h.
Mastered>>Expert
Cost: 2P per extra 0.5h. 2P to extend the skill to another target. 1P per 1*log(x in meters) wavelength extension. 1P per 500m radius increase.
Domain Benefit: Free extension of the skill to 7 additional targets. 75% chance of skill being free.
¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Dan said, more so to reassure the girls that he was still working on the dome than to remind them of his position. ¡°Mhuum.¡±
Weave Combine the effects of two or more skills together. Interchange or combine the domain mastery effects. Combined skills have an equal or lower mastery level than individual skills.
Untrained >> Mastered
Skills weaved Tapestry
Invisibility from self at Expert.
Environnemental Camouflage from Farrah Deveraux at Novice>>Expert.
Arena from Vega [003] at Novice>>Expert.
Sphere of 5m in diameter used on self. All within sphere is invisible at 50m to 5¦Ìm wavelengths ¡°;¡± imperceptible by creatures non-reliant on sight when closer than 30m to target. All outside sphere repelled, not projected, by directional force of 7N based on angle of incidence between self, gravity-adjusted sea level, and sphere contact point.
Cost: 40P per minute of tapestry use.
Domain Benefit: 37% chance of a minute of skill usage being free.
¡°The sky is so close¡­¡± The man muttered, as he glanced up, hope in his eyes. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re getting you out of here, don¡¯t worry,¡± Dan replied, now visible to his companions again. He took a deep breath and crossed the threshold. The creatures were immediately pushed aside by the arena skill. Dan had never realised how small a 5-meter sphere was until he and three other people had to share one. The zombies were everywhere but the floor. They crawled over the shifting blue dome, creating ripples as they dragged their mingled bodies behind them, all heading towards the door. Them crossing the threshold seemed to have triggered some signal, finally allowing the sea of corpses to flow inside.
Protective Dome
Creates a fully impenetrable sphere of 2m in diameter around the user for 30 seconds. Forces within and outside of the sphere act separately and it is fully impenetrable to all wavelengths. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Untrained
Cost: 2P per 5cm of radius extension. 15P for 30 seconds of duration extension. Variable P cost for wavelength penetration.
Table with Protective Dome extended costs added to notes as new tab.
¡°Bip,¡± Dan mumbled on reflex. ¡°What is it?¡± Farrah asked. ¡°A new skill; protective dome, but it¡¯s untrained, it¡¯ll eat through more power than, this. And the costs for it are unclear, ¡­¡± He gestured around. In doing so, he accidentally glanced up and made contact with an elderly man. His wrinkled olive skin and thick beard would have given off a trustworthy impression ¨C the kind of person you¡¯d take candy from at the playground ¨C if not for the left-hand side of his face being entirely bashed in by something angular and large. ¡°Focus. Hand to the wall, let¡¯s go,¡± Farrah ordered. ¡°The magic skills aren¡¯t usually worth it,¡± Vega added. Her tone was somehow calm, almost edging on reassuring, and for some reason that unnerved Dan almost as much as the corpses crawling over them. But he clocked his eyes on the floor, outstretched an arm to touch the wall, and made his way to the stairway. He stopped again once he got high up enough for the sphere to reveal a sea of shifting flesh below him. This was truly his worst nightmare, he realised. The stairs had been claustrophobic enough, but now he realised that if the skills were to suddenly stop working, stop synergising in the way they did, meters upon meters of decaying bodies would collapse onto him, and push him down, to the bottom of an equally dead but living mass of flesh. And then, it would be anyone¡¯s game what he¡¯d die from first; blood force trauma, a zombie tearing his throat apart, or Farrah shooting a rocket at the creatures around him. ¡°Hey,¡± Farrah¡¯s hand landed on his shoulder, jerking him out of his own head. ¡°It¡¯s really hard to not think about all the gruesome ways we can die here¡­¡± He muttered, in an attempt to make himself feel better. Then, he made the mistake of looking up at Vega who seemed entirely in her element. She gave him a friendly smile, and the man slumped over her shoulder glanced back, as if more concerned with the dirty t-shirt pressed into his back than the zombies around them. ¡°You know what,¡± Farrah squeezed past, and took two steps in front of him, ¡°put one hand on my hip, the other here,¡± She guided his other hand to the side of her rucksack, to a side pocket that contained an empty and a full magazine, ¡°And close your eyes.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just follow my lead.¡± Dan made didn¡¯t look at Vega, or down, and quickly realised that this was indeed the better way to proceed. ¡°Just don¡¯t go too fast,¡± He said, doing as he was told. ¡°We are on a timer,¡± Farrah reminded him, that dryness returning to her voice, as she began to walk.
Vega felt oddly calm as they ascended out of that horrible place. And for once, she knew it wasn¡¯t her skills dulling her perception of the world. She¡¯d killed so many of the doctors, so many of their victims, ¡­ They were gone for good, free from the horrors of that place, and stopped from doing further harm. She knew that there were other facilities, and perhaps once Farrah was done with her quest, they could go free those people too. This facility somehow felt personal, perhaps because it was her first time. She stopped in her tracks. This was the first time in her post-memory-loss memories that she wasn¡¯t having a sense of deja vu at something she should have seen before. ¡°Vega, are you okay?¡± Farrah asked, stopping three steps ahead. ¡°No, there¡¯s, umm, I¡¯ll explain later,¡± The woman replied before hurrying up.
You should tell her.
A message from Altair appeared before her.
Maybe him too, but he is too selfish to spread my System. I can¡¯t link to them, otherwise I¡¯d do it myself. I already feel bad for bothering you as much as I am.
¡°No need,¡± Vega whispered. With the noise of the creatures crawling around them, and Dan muttering something to himself in a language she didn¡¯t know, it wasn¡¯t hard to hide a whisper.
I know, but I still do. I think that¡¯s one of the good things about being human, all those emotions.
Vega didn¡¯t reply. She wished Altair would say those things out loud so Farrah could redirect the conversation.
Sorry.
I mean nothing by it, just a way of speech. Depending on how you look at it, I am either much more, or much less human than those two when you think about it. But that¡¯s exactly what I mean. They should know, they should evolve.
He turned his head, his determined expression being caught in Vega¡¯s peripheral vision. ¡°They don¡¯t want to evolve,¡± she whispered, ¡°Umm, you don¡¯t get it, but the OBELISK, umm-¡±
Just say what you¡¯re thinking.
¡°Easy for you to say¡­¡± all of the previous sense of fulfilment and optimism was gone from Vega¡¯s voice. ¡°The System only makes the world worse. People die, umm, people turn into monsters,¡±
That is very true -
Altair shrieked in pain, covering his eyes, as the sky finally opened up above them. Vega immediately moved to shelter him, although she couldn¡¯t be certain what from. He knelt on the stairway, arms over his head. Dozens of screens with unfinished sentences appeared before Vega. She glanced back at the duo. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Farrah knelt by Altair, her hand over his shoulder, as she tried to pinpoint the source of his pain. ¡°Nothing-¡± He barely managed to mutter. ¡°Continue ¡­ up.¡± ¡°Hey, whatever it is, we¡¯re almost out.¡± Farrah gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. ¡°Then we¡¯ll sort it. Yeah?¡± Altair opened his mouth but did not manage to utter a single word. He eventually nodded in reply. Vega looked up at Daniel, who stood, eyes still closed, one hand on the torn cables, the other on the railing. ¡°Yeah,¡± Dan was the one to reply. ¡°I only have six more minutes of this left. So if you don¡¯t mind.¡±
I¡¯ll live. We need to move. He is lying but tell them we need to move.
¡°Okay,¡± Vega whispered. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°We need to get going,¡± Vega said, pulling Altair back up. He was clearly in pain and resisted the motion on an instinctual level. But she respected his decision, and it seemed Farrah did too. The woman regained her position two steps above and began leading Dan at a slightly faster pace. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Vega whispered quietly enough only for her and Altair to hear. His grip over her shoulder tightened with every step she made him take, and an unpleasant tightness constricted something non-vital in her chest. Several of his text boxes appeared then vanished before they could be fully formed. Eventually, he managed to regain enough composure to tell her:
Perfection is not always what we think it is. It¡¯s too hard to put into words, but I want to see the sun. At this point, the cost no longer matters. We both know I can¡¯t die from pain.
That was all too true. But pain could be treated and its cause removed. Vega whispered to Altair about the drugs both her companions carried, but he refused. He hid his face in her shoulder as the stairway above them fully vanished. ¡°Three meters to go!¡± Farrah spoke from above. Just as she did, a winged monster dove past them, into the shifting mass below. Vega looked down one last time. She didn¡¯t have the time to wonder or care where, or rather whom, those creatures had come from. She practically carried Altair up the last few steps, and let him collapse to the cement ground as he yelled in pain. The helipad was open, although Vega had noticed that a long time ago. There were only a half-dozen of the winged monsters up here, keeping watch along the rooftop and from the untouched helicopter. Tiny hands and feet and strings of organs crawled around, avoiding the translucent blue dome around Dan. Farrah spared Altair one pitiful glance, as she swapped out her magazine. Dan was catching his breath, from the stress more than from the effort, bent over with his hands over his knees. ¡°Do you girls want a countdown?¡± He asked. It was unclear, as usual, if the question was genuine or mean-spirited. ¡°Fuck, are you okay?¡± He dropped to the ground by Altair as soon as he realised the situation. ¡°Shit, what¡¯s ¨C I have ibuprofen,¡± He started rummaging through his bag. ¡°Countdown,¡± Farrah reminded. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to carry him, I¡¯ll cover you.¡±
No.
¡°What?¡± Vega asked. ¡°Almost got it,¡± Dan unzipped a red cloth pouch and started squinting at the unlabelled tablets. ¡°To that door,¡± Farrah gestured to the doorless doorway. ¡°On his count,¡± She nodded at Dan. ¡°Fuck give me a second,¡± Dan finally found the ibuprofen and extended the pill to Altair. ¡°No.¡± For a second Vega wondered if the two had heard the word among the shakiness of Altair¡¯s voice, and the screeches and moans coming from the well. But both froze mid-movement, expecting him to continue.
Well,
There goes my hopes of humanity¡¯s evolution. This is where I want to die. Go, I¡¯ll hold them back.
¡°No! You can¡¯t!¡± Vega exclaimed. ¡°Can¡¯t what?¡± Farrah asked after half a second of thought. She¡¯d caught on. ¡°Please, now is not the time. How much longer have we got Dan? Just do this,¡± She gestured between Vega and Altair, ¡°When we¡¯re all safe.¡± Dan¡¯s frown eased as he too understood that a conversation had been taking place outside of his ear range. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Vega turned towards Farrah. She really was. She tried to pull Altair up, to follow the retreat order she¡¯d been given, ignoring the text boxes he wrote in protest. Altair suddenly pushed Vega to the side, almost to the edge of Dan¡¯s tapestry. ¡°Seven,¡± he said looking up at Farrah. ¡°What?¡± Dan asked, his fingers wrapping around the painkiller as he began putting it away. Time slowed down, by no skill of Vega¡¯s as Farrah and Altair locked eyes. The corners of his lips began moving into a smile. He didn¡¯t rise, still sitting with his legs under him, his arms shaking under his own weight. The clouds parted just enough to allow for the setting sun to give his naked body a quaint, calming, yellow tint. ¡°Six,¡± He said, and Dan moved up, and Farrah moved forward. Vega¡¯s mind saw their movements before they happened. She could predict where Farrah would put her left foot, at what angle she¡¯d bend down to pick Altair up, and how she¡¯d recoil when he pushed her away the same way he did with Vega. Vega knew the janky, hasty movements of Dan¡¯s fingers, and how his chest moved with irregular shallow breaths as he zipped up his backpack and got ready to run. She saw Altair¡¯s lips forming the word ¡®five¡¯ before they actually did, and she saw Farrah kick him in the chest. But she couldn¡¯t move. And her heart tried to break out of her chest with a racing rhythm, and the air was suddenly so void of oxygen because Vega didn¡¯t know why.
I don¡¯t want to live in the dark! That¡¯s not what I survived for!
It¡¯s not my call. But it¡¯s not hers -
He fell into the darkness of the well. Dan¡¯s bubble burst, and Vega was on her feet before she knew it, on instinct, punching through one of the flying monsters. Farrah shot several of them down, and even Dan¡¯s aim proved true for once. They found themselves back to back, on the edge of the well. Vega was the first to look down and to spot Altair¡¯s figure among the monsters. He didn¡¯t drown in them, nor was he devoured. It seemed whichever one of them he touched suddenly became docile. One by one, the guttural noises quieted down. ¡°He¡¯ll live.¡± Farrah patted Vega¡¯s back. Then she raised her Steyr and shot several buckshots into a mass of limbs crawling towards them. ¡°One of the writings on the wall said-¡± Dan poked her with his crossbow, interrupting the sentence. That was for the best because Vega didn¡¯t want to know what the mad writings of those doctors said. She had not read them on purpose. ¡°Umm, we should bury Altair,¡± Vega spoke, taking a step back from the well, which was now very obviously a helicopter access shaft. ¡°Can you fix that?¡± She pointed at the H135. ¡°With, umm, the luck thing,¡± She added. She tried to remember how that grief had felt, as her mind rearranged itself. She wondered if that was what had held her down seconds prior. Farrah shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m on last stand.¡± ¡°Oh, of course you are. Shit,¡± Dan fired a bolt at a walking corpse that ran through the door-less hallway. ¡°We¡¯ll burry ¨C something for him,¡± Farrah spoke. She shot down two more monsters from that same hallway, before checking her stats ¡°Can you still use run?¡± She asked Dan. Chapter 18 - Chiming Bells The sun was taking its sweet time to set over the plains surrounding the town of Yarlford. The place had been all but a ghost town even before the Fall, judging by the distinct lack of railways linking it to the rest of the world, and the ¡®closed for renovations¡¯ notice on the local school dated to 2003. A dog barked at them before running off, down an overgrown street. Dan stared after it with mild unease, as he squinted, trying to make out if the shapes under the moss were animals, trash, or corpses. Vega was trailing behind. She wasn¡¯t playing with the straps that remained on her left arm, but every time Farrah glanced back at her, Vega seemed just on the verge of saying something, but she never did. Farrah herself was clicking the top of her fag tin. There was one cigarette left, and she desperately needed it. Her status bars disagreed, of course, but their binary mechanic of ¡®one a day¡¯ didn¡¯t account for how Farrah felt. She felt such a complex entanglement of emotions that she herself couldn¡¯t name more than five of those. And the weight of the tin in her hand, too heavy but also all too light, was only adding to the aggravation. ¡°Okay, I am going to say something,¡± Dan spoke, walking ahead. He raised an arm, with one extended finger, that quickly turned into two. ¡°I¡¯ll say two things,¡± He corrected himself. Farrah hummed in reply, moving her index finger under the lid of the tin, so that the clicking wouldn¡¯t interrupt him. ¡°Fist,¡± He stopped in his tracks, then spun around, ¡°I appreciate you guys not leaving me behind.¡± Farrah nodded, and Vega whispered a ¡®sir¡¯ without making eye contact. The silence didn¡¯t dwell for long enough to become anywhere close to uncomfortable, but Farrah forced herself to speak, to get her mind off the omnipresent lingering taste of her last smoke: ¡°It¡¯s what we Collectors do. For as much as I like to criticise Fabio and his group, they¡¯ve got the right idea.¡± Dan didn¡¯t react to this, beyond a slight narrowing of his eyebrows. ¡°That being said, we should find shelter and debrief,¡± Farrah started walking again, clicking the tin out of rhythm with her pace. ¡°The other thing,¡± Dan maintained eye contact as she walked past, ¡°Is that the clicking is getting on my nerves. And I¡¯m sure Vega will agree, right?¡± ¡°Sir,¡± Vega shrugged, unconvinced. Farrah¡¯s shoulders tensed, then she took a deep breath and relaxed. She got the tin into her pocket on the second try, before turning around, and quickly joining Vega. ¡°It¡¯s all over now, it¡¯s going to be alright,¡± She wrapped her arms around Vega¡¯s shoulders. The words felt strange as they left her tongue, taking with them the remnant taste of tobacco. She hadn¡¯t said those words in a very long time, and she hadn¡¯t meant them in even longer. She gestured for Dan to join in the group hug, which he did with less reluctance than she expected. They stood like that for an eternity, long enough for the sun to set proper, and for that dog to pop its head from behind a car, and sniff in the direction of Dan¡¯s backpack that he¡¯d dropped on the ground. ¡°That was a very stressful day,¡± Dan was the one to pull away first. ¡°I¡¯m going to go find clean clothes and, or, water to wash the dead mutated zombie residue off.¡± Farrah chuckled. ¡°It could have, umm, gone much worse, all things considered,¡± Vega spoke. ¡°I¡¯m glad, umm,¡± She glanced down, then wiped her lips, unsure of what to say. Farrah had the nagging suspicion that Vega was glad about something other than them all making it out, but she didn¡¯t push. Instead, she took out her small flashlight.
Scan - Directional - Targeted Cost: Free.
She activated the aim-assist and calibre change combo and shot down several flyers, about six kilometres away from them. ¡°I¡¯ll take the first watch,¡± She strode forward, flashlight pressed between her chest and her arm, as she reloaded the rifle. ¡°I¡¯m going to find somewhere tall to snipe from. Bring me back something from the sports store.¡± ¡°This place doesn¡¯t have a clothes store,¡± Dan dryly chuckled. ¡°But sure, got it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look for food then. Where do we regroup?¡± Vega asked. The answer came in the form of the sudden ring of church bells. It echoed through the empty town five times before letting the silence and early-night fog roll in. Dan pretended not to be startled while Vega patiently waited for a reply. ¡°There,¡± Farrah nodded in the direction of the church. She could just about make out the bell tower from above the rooftops to the west. It was no further than a few streets. ¡°How about somewhere that¡¯s not a church?¡± Dan asked. ¡°I¡¯ll check the buildings around it.¡± Farrah shrugged. To her, it seemed as good of a place as any, but she did reckon it would be inappropriate to kill zombies in it, and their potential arrival wasn¡¯t something she could control. ¡°Then I¡¯m off.¡± Vega jogged off down an eastward street, her jacket briefly reflecting Farrah¡¯s flashlight. ¡°Me too. What size are you?¡± Dan asked. Farrah chuckled. ¡°First of all, rude,¡± She jokingly said, ¡°Second, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s going to be enough choice for that to matter. Just grab anything that fits you.¡± At that, Dan seemed to take offence. ¡°We¡¯re about the same size,¡± Farrah clarified, slipping her right hand into her pocket to play with the tin again. ¡°Yeah, but boy and girl clothes aren¡¯t sized the same,¡± He stated as if that was an obvious thing Farrah was meant to address. ¡°Just grab whatever doesn¡¯t have mould or gore on it,¡± Farrah waved him off, letting the flashlight slip from under her arm into her palm, and heading off towards the church. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. She heard him fish his own flashlight out of his backpack and watched as her shadow turned into two. Then his light turned towards the window of a house, and the sound of breaking glass soon followed.
Farrah¡¯s leather jacket and shoes went into a plastic bin-bag and were left where babes were left centuries prior. The church smelled of mould and very faint remnants of incense. Although perhaps Farrah was imagining the latter. Considering the domain, it was fairly well preserved. The benches had been systematically overturned, and mice had made nests in the embroidered cushions. They ran away when they heard Farrah¡¯s footsteps, and the unlucky few that got caught in her light froze, confused at whom was waking them up. It was hard to tell if the glass panes were stained, or simply forming, through dozens of irregular shapes, the verses of the Lord¡¯s life, death, and rebirth. Most of them were intact, and Farrah was well-familiar with the story, so she didn¡¯t dwell on them longer. The candles on either side of the wooden cross in the apse were brand new. Farrah considered lighting them, just for the time of her and her companions¡¯ stay here. But their white paraffin tops looked too perfect to be destroyed. Instead, Farrah crossed, and lit one of the smaller candles under a Renaissance-style ¨C but clearly late 20th century - painting of Mary. ¡°We¡¯ll talk later,¡± She softly spoke, pressing her lips into a thin smile. It had been a while, she realised, but another scan told her she didn¡¯t have much time to waste. She hastily walked past the altar, and entered the only door labelled with ¡®do not enter¡¯. Just like in that parable of the king and his three sons, the smell of incense was starting to fill up the church, and it made Farrah reach for the tin in her pocket. On the other end of the door, a startled bat greeted the woman, before leading the way down a short hallway. It fled through an open, glass-less, window, and let Farrah take a wooden spiral stairway up. It creaked with each step, and threatened in that familiar and non-menacing way, to break under her weight any second. It stopped at a landing, where a trap door and a step stool led Farrah outside.
Scan - Directional - Targeted Cost: Free.
They were coming. Slowly, but consistently. It almost felt like a horde night, except the moon was less than a quarter big, and the zombies didn¡¯t smell the humans; only the guts of their own kin on them. Without a bath, the two were one and the same though. Farrah could see Dan¡¯s green dot on her minimap. She could also see three dozen yellow dots approaching at various speeds. The best to do would have been to continue running until they¡¯d get out of range of those undead, or into a settlement where they¡¯d get clean clothes. But with both Dan and Vega out of Power, and Farrah in the very low quadruple digits, they didn¡¯t have enough Power between them to both defend against the faster zombies and run. Farrah fired into the distance, using her map to aim. The gunshots echoed inside the bell, and she flinched away from the noise she¡¯d created. She swept her flashlight around the two-by-two-meter-wide tower, trying to decide on the best place to lay base. To her surprise, someone had used this place as a base before. A sleeping bag was folded up in one of the corners, and a metal case, about fifty by thirty centimetres, stood next to it. The lock was slightly rusted, and it took Farrah both hands to pop it open. Inside, three magazines of 45mm, a fistful of 51mm, and two boxes of 9mm were staring at her. An unsealed water bottle of questionable freshness, and several sealed and unlabelled aluminium food packets laid atop the ammunition. The Steyr went back over Farrah¡¯s back, as she took out the cardboard boxes. ¡°Hey!¡± Dan¡¯s voice came from down below. ¡°How are you doing?¡± Farrah leaned over the small guardrail and shone her flashlight downwards. Dan had his crowbar in one hand, and a large Mainland bright-green shopping bag in the other. ¡°Come up,¡± Farrah yelled. She then added two bullets into her gun. She activated the usual long-range skills, and having learned her lesson about shooting under a metal bell, added another.
Silencer Fully removes the noise produced by a bullet being fired, and the noise it makes on entry and exit. *Requires individual attunement to each new weapon*
Expert
Cost: Weapon-dependant. 1P per bullet.
Domain benefit Range restrictions removed. 80% chance of skill being free.
¡°I think I¡¯ll stay here, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Dan yelled. ¡°I got you some clothes. And one of these,¡± he fished a pack of cigarettes from the bag. From this distance, Farrah couldn¡¯t distinguish the brand, or if it was sealed or not. Regardless, she thought over her next words carefully. From what little she could make out of Dan¡¯s posture, and readiness to collapse and call it a day, she needed to come up with a really strong argument to make him come up yet another set of stairs. ¡°Thank you,¡± She yelled down. ¡°I found ammo and rations here. It¡¯s a good vantage point, so if we were to discuss the menspehere, and everything else you¡¯ve found tonight, this¡¯d be a good place.¡± ¡°Why are you two yelling?¡± Vega called out as she emerged from a nearby street. She was carrying several packs of either oats or cereal and a bottle of some fizzy drink. ¡°You¡¯re-¡± Dan turned towards her. Farrah couldn¡¯t make out his exact expression, and apparently Vega couldn¡¯t either, because she didn¡¯t comment on it. ¡°Never mind. I suggest we camp in that house for the night.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t abandon me up here!¡± Farrah protested. ¡°I thought you were fine with keeping watch?¡± Dan asked. There was enough doubt in his voice to make Farrah feel bad about asking a keeper to do even more physical activity when she knew he had no power to help him with it. ¡°Vega, could you bring me the cigarettes and clothes please?¡± Farrah yelled. ¡°I¡¯d, umm, offer to stay up with you, but I think it¡¯s best for safety if I stay with Daniel,¡± She replied, before doing as she was told. When she picked up Farrah¡¯s smokes, she paused for a second. Farrah wondered if she was going to have to come down there herself to get those, but Vega looked up and spoke, ¡°You already had four today, you don¡¯t need one to remove your status effect.¡± ¡°I need one to make me feel alright inside,¡± Farrah replied without thinking. She was going to add that she could come get them herself if it bothered Vega, but a scan told her two heavies were only 7 kilometres away from them, so she shot into the distance instead. Thankfully they were far enough away that the rooftops didn¡¯t hinder her aim. ¡°Here you go,¡± Vega put down a sweater, yoga pants, and an oversized blue and white soccer t-shirt at Farrah¡¯s feet a few minutes later. ¡°Thanks, Luath Vega,¡± Farrah smiled, putting the pistol down. ¡°What?¡± Vega tilted her head. ¡°Luath, the delivery company? Never mind,¡± Farrah pulled off her bloodied tank top, replacing it with the t-shirt that smelled of freshly applied deodorant. She noted that Dan had put a fair bit of effort into this as she swapped her denim for similar-scented trousers. ¡°Here,¡± Vega handed Farrah a pack of 5 cigarettes, which promptly got transferred to a much sturdier tin. ¡°About the menspherea,¡± Vega continued, ¡°You won¡¯t, umm, try to access it, will you?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have to know what it is before trying anything,¡± Farrah replied. ¡°Dan said it was a higher dimension. Is that true?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Vega shook her head. ¡°All I know is that it¡¯s how the System is controlled.¡± ¡°So you want to access it? To get rid of your daily quests?¡± Farrah asked. The pieces suddenly clicked together. ¡°And you need ''the'', not ''a'', OBELISK facility to enter it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Vega muttered after a short pause. ¡°I have a lot to think over. I¡¯ll be guarding Dan, yell if you need me.¡± Farrah frowned ever so slightly. Vega¡¯s demeanour had changed. ¡°Hey,¡± she shone the flashlight in the other woman¡¯s direction, ¡°We¡¯ll make a grave for your friend first thing tomorrow morning. The church grounds is a good place to do that, but we can pick anywhere you¡¯d like. I can¡¯t say that call was the right one, and,¡± Farrah sighed, ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I had anything better than a gut feeling to assure you he is fine now.¡± Vega nodded. Her gaze was firm, but not fully focused. Farrah parted her lips to say that she knew it mustn¡¯t¡¯ve been easy to go back to that facility and to kill so many people who were in Vega''s shoes, or rather in whose shoes she¡¯d been. But she decided that now was not the time to give up on that specific lie. So instead she said: ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then. I¡¯ll be out of Power by morning, so you¡¯ll be our main defence line.¡± ¡°Got it. See you tomorrow,¡± Vega replied. Chapter 19 - Full English Breakfast
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Power
Luck
Conditions
Goals not fulfilled
Addiction
Exhaustion
Farrah went through her bag in search of an energy drink. The church bell hadn¡¯t rung again, so she knew it wasn¡¯t six yet. The sky had been steadily growing brighter, and the fog began falling closer to the ground, but not yet rolling away back into the fields. The past few hours had been much quieter. As a pile of mutated and fully dead corpses accumulated between the trio and the facility, their scents faded into the background. Farrah pulled up her minimap. A strip of orange dots loitered between 7 and 10 kilometres west of their position. They walked among and over the grey dots that represented their fallen siblings. That was going to be an environmental hazard, with all the mutations that were gathered up there, for a long while. She¡¯d already added the strip of zombies to her notes, planning to inform Collectors of it in the next settlement over, wherever and whenever that was going to be.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Goals ¡¤ Find the OBELISK
Give Up
The screen appeared before her, unchanged and unaware of yesterday¡¯s ordeal. Farrah studied it with the same non-negligible amount of thought she¡¯d spent studying it during the night, after she¡¯d laid down her pistol and only scanned the area every few minutes to make sure none of the creatures were getting smart or lucky enough to continue beyond the wall, into the town. She had her theories, and she was waiting for the church bell to wake up the other two and dismiss her from her post. A quick glance down the clock on the side of the bell tower told her that it¡¯d be another 2 hours. Farrah sighed, got up, stretched, and scanned the area one final time. Four news dots had emerged between the wall and the OBELISK facility, but none had yet crossed the threshold. So, Farrah finally deemed it safe enough to rejoin her companions. She popped open that same trap door, and let herself fall the short distance to the stool. Then, she headed downstairs, flashlight in hand. Its round shape felt awkward between her fingers, and some tendons in her hand ached from having held a pistol for that long and with a grip perhaps a tad too tight. The bat had returned under the stairs and angrily flopped at Farrah¡¯s head before being smacked away with the flashlight. It flew back down, perhaps insulting the woman in a frequency only it could hear. This time, Farrah didn¡¯t head straight to the nave, and then outside. She shone her flashlight around the small landing, avoiding the disgruntled bat, before heading past the stairway, and down a windy corridor. From its shape, she could tell it circled around the apse, leading her past dozens of psalms and leaflets of long-past regional pastoral events that were pinned along the walls. Some journal excerpts and a selected few pictures warranted simple frames, that didn¡¯t fully fit the round shape of the hallway. The hallway ended with an ajar wooden door. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. This place had once been an office, perhaps a decade or two before the Fall. But cases of floppy discs, unsorted plastic bins of leaflets and handouts, and a nativity barn in which a family of mice had replaced everyone but baby Jesus, made it hard to even call it a storage space. Yet, the right-hand side of the room had been cleared out to make space for a small diesel generator. It was just under two meters in length, and over a meter in width, and the layer of dust on it was not as thick as on the shelving around it. Farrah approached it and ran a finger along its side. She didn¡¯t like that it was running and that two 5-litre diesel barrel-like containers stood by its side, both full. The sniper nest was being regularly visited by a person of faith. They must have had some crafting skills to reassemble the generator inside here. Some level of electrical knowledge as well, to wield it to the existing dead electrical grid. Farrah knelt, following the cables that ran into a partially dismantled part of the wall, before dispreading into a metal tube. She tried to think back to the collectors she knew who had the needed skills and spirituality for this setup. Matthew was one of three snipers she knew, but none of them would have bothered bringing a generator over, even if they could. She pulled out her notes on other Collectors, skimming through them. There wasn¡¯t anyone who specialised in the kind of technical utility related to reassembling an engine. With a discontent humm, Farrah shook her head, failing to link any of those people to this place. She got up, picking up one of the diesel containers. She left it by the door, under the judgemental gaze of the nativity mice, before fishing out a sheet of paper from the mess and writing a quick note. She explained that she took it, and who she was, in case some trade in return would be required. She didn¡¯t bother putting down an address, as, much like most Collectors, she went all over the UDR. Then, she marked the church on her minimap, turning its outline green; an investigation for after the OBELISK quest, or perhaps for someone else. She walked through that narrow hallway, diesel container in hand, and a half-smile on the corner of her mouth. She crossed at the wooden cross above the altar and glanced at the single candle stub under that painting of Maria. She crossed twice more, first for all her family who were with God, and last, because it was tradition to cross an odd number of times. The mice had made themselves scarce among the overturned wooden benches, and the light that came through the stained glass gave the whole church an air of sadness, just a touch too pronounced in its slowly shifting reds, blues, and yellows to pass off as melancholic. The air outside smelled of things to do and places to be. ¡°Good morning crew,¡± Farrah¡¯s voice carried through the empty streets and into the house Dan had picked. ¡°How¡¯s it rolling at Brookstone Fork?¡± A groan came in reply. ¡°Hey,¡± Vega joined Farrah outside through a doorless entryway. ¡°How was the watch?¡± Farrah scanned the area and clicked her tongue when she spotted yet another yellow dot approaching the corpse strip. ¡°I got a level of exhaustion, and my Power is down to 177, but I¡¯ll hold out until tomorrow.¡± Vega nodded. ¡°I can take, umm, whatever comes our way. Speaking of, which way will we, umm, be going?¡± Farrah hummed, and pulled out one of the off-brand cigarettes Dan had gotten her before replying: ¡°Back up north, to Samborough. We¡¯ll need to locate the main OBELISK facility, but if that one is anything to go by, we¡¯ll need to resupply first. Maybe recruit other Collectors.¡± ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± Vega glanced down, then back, inside the house, where the rustling noise of Dan getting up could be heard. Farrah took a drag of her cigarette, waiting for the woman to continue. ¡°I don¡¯t think more people should be made aware of OBELISK and the mensphere. Even with just Daniel on board, things could spiral out of control if she were to share with others the intricacies of that facility.¡± Farrah frowned and took another drag. ¡°Are you doing alright?¡± She asked, forcing her tone to come off as concerned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Vega tilted her head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you saw ¡®Highway 196¡¯,¡± Dan finally joined them on the pavement. He looked like he¡¯d spent the night rolling in the grass and moss, after somehow getting out of his sleeping bag, which judging by the dirty yellow plastic popping out from under the zipper of his backpack, he¡¯d indeed been doing. ¡°It¡¯s a classic. Ben Strewy played in it,¡± Farrah replied. She didn¡¯t add that there were only two of his impressive 26 films that she hadn¡¯t seen because the connotations of that would have been too depressing. Dan was not awake enough to think of that. He rambled on about some of the other late 90¡¯s movies, and how the action cinema saw its downfall at the turn of the century with the change of the aspect ratios of filming tape. Farrah finished her cigarette, before taking a box of oats from Vega, and quietly munching on it while they headed North. Sometime in the early stages of the monologue, she got Dan to put the diesel into his backpack, through an inventory management skill that likely utilised that newly discovered higher dimension. Farrah was just a tad too tired to ask about the technical details of that now. ¡°Did you hear the rest of the conversation as well?¡± Vega asked, as soon as Dan took a long enough pause for her to get the words in. ¡°What, about the plan you girls don¡¯t have?¡± He asked. ¡°About you going on to trade the intel about OBELISK first chance you get,¡± Farrah said, without much conviction. Dan really didn¡¯t seem like the type. ¡°Right?¡± She glanced at Vega, before handing her the oats. ¡°Yes,¡± The woman replied. ¡°You never told us what you were looking for in there, and, umm, there was a lot of sensitive information you could have seen.¡± ¡°Yeah, I read all about how to unlock all the quests, and max out your skills,¡± Dan replied. ¡°You need to hold ¡®A¡¯ and ¡®B¡¯ while twisting the left joystick up, then press down.¡± ¡°¡®A¡¯ and ¡®B¡¯ being your nipples and the joystick your cock,¡± Farrah chortled without much enthusiasm. ¡°Are you alright, Farrah?¡± Vega asked. ¡°Yeah, what was that?¡± Dan looked at her with a mixture of confusion and disgust. Farrah shrugged. They past the last of the abandoned buildings, and a worn-down blue sign. ¡°All that to say that you didn¡¯t find anything worth trading,¡± Farrah spoke. ¡°Yeah,¡± Dan nodded, taking the pack of Oats. He shook it, looked inside it with suspicion, but didn¡¯t verbally complain as he put small fistfuls of the flakes in his mouth. ¡°I will admit that I got somewhat distracted by the higher dimension. Couldn¡¯t sleep because of it either, could you imagine a non-Euclidian space-¡± ¡°Before we go on that tangent,¡± Farrah interrupted him, ¡°Where to?¡± She nodded at Vega. ¡°Me?¡± The woman pointed at herself. Now that the sun had risen higher, almost high enough for the church bells to greet it, it was obvious how she too looked worse for wear. She was wearing the white raincoat over her tactical suit, and the disparity in the state of the two could not be more obvious. Shiny reflective plastic on the outside, worn and seemingly sun-weathered plastic on the inside. She lacked those dark circles under her eyes that Dan and Farrah shared, but her eyes had that glimmer to them, of a person who needed to cry for an hour before passing out under a thick blanket for eight. Farrah¡¯s glance travelled between Dan and Vega, before returning to the sign. ¡°None of them are the central facility, are they?¡± She asked the man, her eyes still on the lichen-covered white letters. ¡°No, remember the map? There were 4 that were larger than the rest.¡± He paused, thinking. He shook the empty box of oats to give himself a few more seconds to think. ¡°But you¡¯re right, there is no reason any of them would be in a different state from that bunker.¡± ¡°She never said that,¡± Vega turned towards him, hand on her hip. ¡°That was what was implied?¡± Dan raised an eyebrow. ¡°It was,¡± Farrah agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Hadderstone End,¡± She decided. ¡°Why?¡± Dan asked. ¡°Does it have a gathering place for your Collector friends?¡± Farrah shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a well-defended keep by the sea. We have about a month before the next horde, and it¡¯s as good a place as any to spend it.¡± ¡°We have 6 weeks at the least. Two months if we¡¯re being realistic,¡± Dan argued. Farrah had already taken a few steps ahead, but she paused, turning around to face the man. ¡°It¡¯s a random pick. We need to go somewhere, and we¡¯re all too tired and winded up to decide on that now.¡± ¡°Sir,¡± Vega agreed. Dan shrugged, having nothing better to suggest at the moment either.
Scan - Directional - Targeted Cost: Free.
Some of the yellow dots, the more advanced mutations, were starting to slowly dissipate from their self-defined cordon. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Farrah muttered. ¡°Can both of you spare the Power for a short run?¡± ¡°Can you?¡± Dan asked, sounding genuinely concerned for once. ¡°Not really, but I can¡¯t spare it for any shooting either.¡± Vega only nodded in reply, ready to go. ¡°Wait,¡± Dan hastily pulled out his glasses. ¡°I got some MP back already, I can take over with the shooting.¡± ¡°I think she¡¯ll, umm, do alright,¡± Vega spoke, noticing how Farrah¡¯s hand instinctivly twitched toward her Steyr. Dan unholstered his crossbow nonetheless. ¡°Alons-y.¡± -- Interlude: Dans Character Sheet
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Power
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Luck
Conditions
None
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Digital Inventory
Stack up to 500 iterations of the same type of item within the same enclosed space. Variabilities in item colour, size, material, or structural integrity can occur. Stacked items occupy the same physical space as the first item stored. If the first item is removed, they occupy the space of the subsequent item. Weight is not stacked. Structural integrity is not transferable. The user has full control over which item gets removed from the stack, and what order they are stacked in.
Expert
Levels up to: None
Cost: 1P per 5 kilos or under to store. 1P per 20 kilos or under to remove. 1P per additional item from the same stack added or removed.
Spy-eye
Allows the user to see the full list and description of the target¡¯s skills. Allows to sort the skills by alphabetical, recently used, most used, recently unlocked, duration since unlock, and source of skill.
Expert
Levels up to: None
Cost: 3P per target. 1P for each subsequent use on a previously successfully targeted target.
Data Shield
Create a physical manifestation of the System Console of up to a directed 25x25m square or a sphere of the 25m in diameter. Move it at will. Control the physical properties of the shield at will.
Expert
Levels up to: None
Cost: 2P to create. 1P per 15 minutes of usage. Free to dispel.
[¡­]
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Goals ¡¤ Kill a person ¡¤ Settle on a career path ¡¤ Feel happiness again ¡¤ Find the arming key for the Marshea leavy bridge ¡¤ Consume 6 different types of preserved meat ¡¤ [Derelict] Travel from ¡®QOR Georgina¡¯s Library¡¯ to ¡®Bridge Erpingham¡¯ traversing less than 3.8 kilometres total, in less than 72 hours. ¡¤ Fish a sea bass over 6kg ¡¤ Fish 25 kilos worth of Crangon crangon ¡¤ Fix Mathias¡¯ portable radio ¡¤ [Heaven] Kill the domain boss ¡¤ [Warren] Kill the domain boss ¡¤ Fix Julie¡¯s 1997 Trek Jell Primus ¡¤ [Lonely] Retrieve a ¡®June¡¯s Balloon¡¯ keychain within 5 hours of entering the domain. ¡¤ Harvest 1000 kg worth of consumable grain ¡¤ Make contact with mom ¡¤ Find a map of the O.JHP-16 network ¡¤ Regroup with Mathias¡¯ group ¡¤ Inject yourself with 6 different blood types
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Map Notes +
[¡­] Heaven ¨C keeps and anywhere where it¡¯s safe for over 24h. No zombies are there, but that¡¯s always where they go during horde nights. Tech ¨C I¡¯m not sure. Electrical power plants, *some* factories. Usually electricity-related mutations. Some have reported metal-skinned zombies. Lonely ¨C The fields and most of Airshire. Mutations are severe and allow for fast traversal or long distances. Nowhere is safe because zombies there can and will outrun you. Derelict ¨C Most of cities and the rest of the industry falls under this. This is where the walkers live. No mutations were observed during the early months, and some think the bone mutations migrated from a different domain. Warren ¨C Creepy-ass tunnels. And some woods for some reason. This domain won¡¯t change to Heaven, so catacombs and actual medieval keeps/mines are not viable refuges because of it. Mutations include mimics, wall-crawlers, and skin-less walkers. They¡¯re scary, but manageable. Still wouldn¡¯t go anywhere near these though.
Locations
No cooking recipes
Code ¨C notes general
Code ¨C copied/extracted
Domains
Collectors - Aireshire
Collectors ¨C Island/UDR
Home ¨C to remember
OBELISK ¨C speculation(s)
[¡­]
Chapter 20 - Stalker
Domain Entered: Lonely
Pinned notes available. Display notes?
Yes No
¡°Bip.¡± ¡°Bip.¡±
Domain Goal Kill all units of a set type within the Domain in under 1 hour of entering the domain. The goal will be failed if one or more enemies of a chosen type are not killed by the user. Choose from:
Swarm 0/63
Standard 0/275
Unique 0/98
Reward
Domain mastery increase to Expert Permanent bonus: All dependant skills for all physical skills are discovered, and acquired at untrained level. Mastery of already discovered dependant skills increases by 1 mastery level without penalties.
Accept
Yes No
That quest was actually doable, Farrah thought to herself, as she continued to walk, ignoring the sun burning through the dirty and partially torn leather of her jacket. But not right now. It truly felt as if the System was playing some twisted joke on her by finally deciding to give her doable quests when she wasn¡¯t in a state capable of doing them. ¡°Bip,¡± Vega said a good few seconds too late. The trio walked in silence, leaving a dense patch of forest behind. Fields rolled before them greenish yellows bending to a light breeze that slowly but surely brought puffy, rain-filled clouds towards them. ¡°How are you doing?¡± Dan asked Vega, with a fair amount of concern in his voice when he thought Farrah had finally power-walked out of ear range. ¡°I ¡­ I¡¯m always doing fine, Dan,¡± Vega replied. ¡°My mind rearranges itself to make sure I remain so.¡± That second comment seemed to be directed at the woman, and Farrah hummed in return. She scanned the area again. ¡°It¡¯s still following us, 8 kilometres.¡± She informed the other two, as she rhythmically played with the lid of her tin. It had been closing in since this morning, having crossed past the zombie corpse barricade. Whatever it was, it defiled everything they knew about the undead, and if not for the colour of the dot, definitely classifying it as such, Farrah¡¯s first thought would have leaned towards a fellow Collector. No reply came from either of her companions, which wasn¡¯t surprising considering Dan thought she was hallucinating, and had made so known already on two occasions prior this morning. He did, with a heavy and annoyed sigh, check his own minimap, only to find it void of the of the dot yet again. He didn¡¯t have the reach to extend to 8 kilometres, and he wasn¡¯t going to waste another ¡®Skill Amplifier¡¯ on it, although he didn¡¯t say as much. He pressed a corner of his mouth into a silent shrug and read off some notes, mostly to kill time, before turning to Vega once more. ¡°So you never fully explained how you know that man,¡± He asked. Farrah didn¡¯t turn around to look at whatever wannabe reassuring expression Vega was giving her.
Scan - Directional - Targeted Cost: Free
Still there. Two hundred meters closer to them. It knew they were weak, her and Dan. What Farrah didn¡¯t understand was how it knew. She went through her notes again, half-hoping she¡¯d missed it somehow. But she heavily suspected, all while half-listening to the conversation behind her, that no Collector had survived an encounter with one. Stolen story; please report. ¡°I didn¡¯t. We, umm, all met him at the same time.¡± ¡°You got the closest to showing any real emotions, well, sadness, you showed plenty of other negative emotions, yesterday,¡± Dan continued. ¡°That¡¯s not a reaction to the death of a stranger.¡± Farrah glanced back to see Vega give Dan a confused look that bordered on disgust. ¡°Maybe for you, it isn¡¯t,¡± She replied. ¡°But, umm, most people care when their friends die.¡± Dan raised his eyebrows and looked away. He¡¯d realised that he was treading a line, and he wasn¡¯t going to press the issue, but he had the look of someone who would not flinch at their own death if they¡¯d get to see it in third person. ¡°Point being, we can discuss who we do and don¡¯t know after we get to the safe house,¡± Farrah spoke, gesturing for the duo to follow ¨C or rather hurry up ¨C with her right palm. ¡°Point being, you should take a smoke and lay off us,¡± Dan clicked his tongue. ¡°You are the reason we¡¯re not running to the house.¡± Despite how much she wanted to, Farrah didn¡¯t stop in her tracks to turn around. Three more hours of walking, and her Luck would get reset. Mathew¡¯s farm was another 20 kilometres from there, which was to say, very close if they ran. ¡°Anyway,¡± Dan continued, realising fairly quickly that Farrah wasn¡¯t going to waste her breath on telling him that he was free to go, despite not knowing where to go to, being the least combat-adept of the trio, and more likely than not walking right into the claws of whatever has been following them. ¡°The other thing which we still haven¡¯t talked about is the higher dimension this whole System is coded in. I¡¯ve given it some thought, and the idea that we are all just code ourselves did cross my mind.¡± ¡°You¡¯re,¡± Vega frowned, pausing, ¡°We¡¯re not code.¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t believe that either,¡± Dan shrugged. ¡°Would border on sinful if you did,¡± Farrah added. ¡°Yeah, not even border¡­¡± Farrah nodded. She hadn¡¯t phrased it in a stronger way on purpose. ¡°If the menspherea holds the System, can we enter it to, umm, say destroy it?¡± Vega asked. Farrah almost stopped in her tracks once more. There was something about the intonation in Vega¡¯s voice that held almost too much decisiveness. The silence that followed only added to the eeriness by making it seem like Vega herself wasn¡¯t sure what she¡¯d meant. ¡°When I say higher, I don¡¯t mean above,¡± Dan spoke. ¡°It doesn¡¯t exist in a way you or I, or her,¡± He gestured at Farrah, ¡°Can comprehend. It¡¯s like when you draw a line on paper, and then fold the paper along the line. If we were that line, we wouldn¡¯t even know what colour ink it was drawn in. Hey-¡±
Scan - Directional - Targeted Cost: Free
Steyr AUG in hand, Farrah snapped around, raising the barrel of the rifle in the same direction Vega was looking. Dan quickly followed them, unholstering his crossbow. ¡°Huh,¡± he said, squinting and the translucent blue-grey shape. ¡°It¡¯s one of those wraiths.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not moving,¡± Farrah informed them. She didn¡¯t want to waste Power on checking. She knew that the thing before them was what she¡¯d wasted so many bullets on all those times she¡¯d shot into the distance. ¡°It¡¯s not a wraith. You should go, Dan,¡± She spoke, her tone firm. Then, she chuckled. The irony of still being on ¡®Last Stand¡¯ and having to use the skill as intended was not lost on her. It really was a shame it didn¡¯t stack higher than 5. ¡°Vega, what are we thinking?¡± She asked. Then, knowing the woman wouldn¡¯t pick up on the intonation, but had likely come to the same conclusion as her, added, ¡°You can go too.¡± ¡°I think we can take it,¡± the grey-haired woman nodded before dashing towards the zombie. ¡°Dan, go!¡± Farrah ordered as she activated her signature ammo and calibre combo. No quest, no reward, it was really her against that thing. Her and Vega ¨C The zombie¡¯s body opened like fabric being ripped along a seam. It went from translucent to dark grey in less than an instant ¨C atrophied legs and winged arms proposed it in the air. None of the .300 hit it where it mattered, and even a hatchet to the neck did not stop it from grabbing at Farrah¡¯s shoulders and almost biting down her neck. The pain of Vega yanking the thing off her, and slamming it into the ground hurt more than its initial attack. Farrah watched, her breath jagged, and her right hand lazily trying to stop the bleeding on her shoulder, while the Steyr barrel grip kept trying to slip out of her left hand, as Vega brought her heel cleanly through an empty patch of grass. Dan shrieked, a blue sphere forming around him, too slowly from stopping long black claws from wrapping around his arm. Farrah shot it again, this time to the head. She hit true. She could see her hatchet floating somewhere among the dark-red filaments that rearranged themselves to form something between a Warren wall-crawler and a regular walker. The thing let go of Dan¡¯s hand and slowly rose up. From the meter and a half or so, it stretched to almost three, its body becoming thinner and less tangible. It sucked up three more bullets, bits of muscle, as there was now no doubt that those were the only thing it was made out of, moved to absorb the metal. It slammed Vega¡¯s hand away and blocked a succession of punches with a third arm that grew out of its back. ¡°Hey,¡± A soft, familiar yet distorted sound came from within it. ¡°Is anyone there?¡± The extra arm vanished, as it took a tentative step forward. ¡°Move!¡± Farrah yelled, firing an incendiary grenade at it. Dan obeyed only on instinct. He jumped aside and started frantically scrolling through some screen. Flames engulfed the mutant, then it engulfed the flames. A pungent smell of burning rotting meat filled the air. Vega¡¯s hands went through its chest, grabbing at something, but clearly not doing enough damage. ¡°I¡¯m a Collector too, do you need help.¡± The thing spoke again. Something snapped into place in Farrah¡¯s mind at the sound of those words. They were hers. The thing was hers. Later, she would marvel at how much mental cursing of System and its lack of quests in a situation where a quest would have been more than appropriate, she could fit in two seconds.
Death Mark Mark a target. All attacks against the target are buffed, dealing 3 times the normal damage of the weapon if target is hit in centre of mass or a headshot; dealing 10 times the normal damage of the weapon for all other hits. Each consecutive shot has an additional 5% chance of killing the target, regardless of underlaying target effects or statuses. The target is marked on the map for up to 15 hours.
Trained
Cost: 25P per target, per 10 minutes of use.
Domain benefit Attunement skill restrictions removed. 15% chance of casting dependant skill [Tag] instead.
The zombie stumbled backwards under five impacts, then lept to the ground, crawling through the grass at an unnatural speed. Farrah managed to shoot it one last time before it dug dried-out tendons into her leg. She yelled, collapsing to the ground. Vega rammed into it, making it topple over just as it pierced Farrah¡¯s side with the hardened muscles of its claws. Farrah could barely think, as she rolled over, hand over bleeding kidney, to face it. Vega was barely holding it back. There was only so much damage she could do against something as apt at healing itself as she herself was. ¡°Dan?¡± Farrah yelled. Too many voices, one of which her own, and all of which too quiet and scrambled to make anything out came in reply. Vega went for a high kick, propulsing bits of flesh outside of the creature. Too slow. Her leg came down bloodied, bits of plastic from her tactical suit hanging along over half a dozen large piercing entry points. And then the thing was atop Farrah again, digging into her shoulder, playing with its food. She pulled the trigger. Her luck dropped to zero. Her jagged breathing turned the rest of her Stats window too blurry to see. But it¡¯s worked. First try as well, she grinned to herself. She tried to push the thing off, but without that force that made the undead move and kept the bits of tendon and ligament together, it became nothing more than just that. Farrah tried to cover her mouth and nose, but her Steyr pressed her right arm down, a bruise already forming where it¡¯d recoiled into her upper arm. Her left arm hurt too much. A chuck of muscle fell into her mouth, cutting the already limited air supply. Farrah wasn¡¯t sure if she vomited before or after Vega pulled her out, from underneath the pile of perpetually rotting but never rotted, flesh, but she didn¡¯t remember much after that. -- Interlude: Vegas Character Sheet
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Power
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Conditions
Goals not fulfilled
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Power Regeneration
Regain power at a rate of 1P per 5 over missing power minutes.
Expert
Cost: Free. 10P to regain 50% of max power. 2P to regain 10P when under 25% of Power.
Regeneration
Cure any physical wound. Recovery speed variable depending on injury (- or +), number of similar sustained injuries (-), duration since the last sustained injury of the same kind (+), number of co-occurring injuries (-) or effects (- or +).
Expert
Cost: Free.
Arena
Creates an invisible dome around the user of up to 20m in diameter, trapping or expelling everything within the dome, as decided by the user. Once in place, the gravity on the surface of the dome increases on the inner surface, and decreases on the outer surface for up to 49.5N and 1.92N respectively.
Expert
Cost: 2P per use for up to 25 minutes. 1P per additional 10 minutes of use. 2P per 10m in radius increase.
[¡­]
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
Goals ¡¤ Do 150 push-ups. ¡¤ Consume 5 types of organic poison. ¡¤ [-] ¡¤ [-] ¡¤ Run 2 kilometres.
Stats
Skills
Goals
Other
MEMENTO MORTIS IN SEMITA VITAE