Stellar Survival Quest
Page 12
Inside the keg body was eight arm like appendages that could be used for a variety of jobs. Such as simple moving grippers, plasma torches, circular saws, and even soldering tools. The machine even had a tiny material prefabricator. The Refab would allow the robot to take old basic items like screws, nuts, rivets, wires, and such. Then it would break them down to base materials and reprint them from scratch. The process was slow and for this model at least very power intensive, but it could save time and QOBOP in parts. The largest downsides to the robot was a complete lack of automation. It had to be instructed to do a task. Although it could have a que of five tasks lined up. Better yet, its skill levels in maintenance was pretty astounding.
Taking his electrical tablet into the Habitat, Nathan switched out the tablets to view the user manual that came with the interface app.
For the first time he finally got a break down of the difference between Engineering and maintenance skills. Even though it seemed to him many of them would be pretty much the same and in a way they were. Engineering was creating something new. While maintenance was fixing something already there, or that should have been there. So fixing the damaged hatch door was a maintenance task. Whereas installing a brand new power connection outside the door and a relay from that plug inside was a task of an engineer.
So really this robot was excellent for going through the station and fixing the damaged parts. That would allow him and Boov to focus more on making changes and upgrades as they went.
Inside the habitat Nathan removed his space suit and for the first time in hours, went to the rest room to relieve himself. The relieve sounds of pleasure was just starting when it was cut off by a scream, “WHY THE HELL AM I PEEING METAL!”
A few disturbing minutes passed as Nathan cut off his flow. Made sure there was no pain. Started again. Cut it off to again make sure all his parts looked correct. Then started again staring dubiously into the toilet.
“Fuck this stupid shit! If it is not grey monster hands that turn into super model hot grey women. It is killer man eating trees that start demanding your give them breakfast in bed. Now I have dead people on my doorstep and I’m fucking peeing liquid metal or maybe silver… Fuck my life!”
The flushing of the toilet echoed through the quiet Habitat and then a pouting stomping Nathan stomped into the main room. Grabbing his tablet he flung himself in a huff on the couch.
The tablet had a loading bar showing the installation of the interface app. As it clicked to 100%, a message scrolled across the screen.
*** System Message ***
Administrator Access detected, integrating functionality.
*** System Message ***
When the message disappeared Nathans Home Screen resolved on the tablet.
Pulling up the administrator icon Nathan took a look at it for the first time. Inside he found tabs for Structures, Modules, Units, and Resources.
The Structures tab was empty. Tapping on Modules the screen shifted
*** System Message ***
ModuleLocationTypePowerLife SupportGravityRoomsEfficiency
5.21.96.CParthigoth Gamma station, Epsilon EndiDocking: Small Pad NO NO NO 15 12% {Details}
*** System Message ***
Nathan looked the screen over, before clicking details.
*** System Message ***
Module Overview
Station:Parthigoth Gamma
Module ID: 5:21:96:C
Location:
Segment:5
Section: 21
Deck: 96
Room Status:
Module Controls:37%Operational
Crew Quarters – Tiny:???UNKNOWN
Bay A:41%Operational
Bay B:???UNKNOWN
Bay C:76%Operational
Bay D:???UNKNOWN
Bay E:???UNKNOWN
Landing Pad A1:???UNKNOWN
Landing Pad A2:???UNKNOWN
Landing Pad A3:???UNKNOWN
Landing Pad B1:???UNKNOWN
Landing Pad B2:???UNKNOWN
Landing Pad B3:???UNKNOWN
Landing Pad C1:72%Operational
Landing Pad C2:78%Operational
Landing Pad C3:87%Operational
Landing Pad D1:???UNKNOWN
Landing Pad D2:???UNKNOWN
Landing Pad D3:???UNKNOWN
Landing Pad E1:???UNKNOWN
Landing Pad E2:???UNKNOWN
Landing Pad E3:???UNKNOWN
Corridor 52196C01:78%Operational
Corridor 52196C02:38%Operational
Security BH 52196C:???UNKNOWN
Lifts 52196C:???UNKNOWN
*** System Message ***
To his dismay and relief both, the details showed a complete list of the systems and features of the module. Not only were the various systems listed, with the ability to turn them off and on separately. But, it also showed a full list of the components and a status for them. To his chagrin though most of the components where showing a question mark indicating an unknown status. So pretty much, he had not even check those systems and parts to see if they worked. From what he could see very little was in working order.
“Well this gives me an idea where to start at least.”
Tapping back to the default page Nathan hit the next tab
Under units the Robot was listed as well as the laser drone, himself, Boov, and to his surprise the tree and the squad in the containers outside.
He could see the location, current task, and other information. Clicking on the robot, a menu system any RTS pro would have no trouble navigating appeared. In the menu he could assign tasks and que up the next ones. He could even use a small window to see through the robots camera.
With a few clicks Nathan set the Robot to begin working on the electrical systems of the module. He figured that if he instructed the bot to begin work it would update the status of the unknown systems as it went.
He tried to click on Boov and himself to issue orders but nothing happened.
Under the Resource tab Nathan saw a list of the materials he had on hand in the module. Mostly this was unhelpful information for him right now, but he figured at some point it might help.
With that all looked over Nathan considered his next step. He had some unknown squad of some Aliens in boxes. Would they die if he didn’t do something with them? What was he supposed to do with them, anyway? Squad sounded military, but maybe it was something else.
He had tons of work to do to just try and get the module running. Then there was the things Bubba had said. Two things kept coming to Nathan’s mind. First the ability to create a Galactic entity.
Nathan kind of pictured this as like a company or maybe a nation of some kind. Did he need to do this? Would it give him any kind of benefit or reward?
Next what about that transport thing. Bubba had said he should sell it. Nathan was kind of against that. After all wasn’t Bubba saying Pilot was the path they wanted to really travel on? Why then should he sell the only ship he had? Sure the thing was slow, had almost no weapons or defenses, ate power like an energy hog, and Nathan couldn’t even really pilot it…
“Yeah okay let’s see what we can get for the stupid thing.”
Pulling up the shop Nathan looked at the ships sections. His mouth fell open. He had really started to feel good about making 75 QOBOP a day in solar power. Sure he understood at some level that it wasn’t really much, but seeing the ships he really was beginning to understand.
Sure on Earth a few hundred QOBOP would pretty much run the nation for days Nathans new mathematical skills began to run wild with this exercise before he focused again.
But, it seemed for a community capable of faster than light travel, converting energy to matter and back again and in general able to build star empires it was nothing.
Nathan used filters to get down to small one person craft. Then seeing prices went to one with no FTL abilities, then with limited ranges, few or no weapons, no shields, and got a kick to the gut.
There was still nearl
y five thousand entries that matched his searches. But for the most part they were the same thing. Small short range craft. Some were for scouting and had scanners. Others were small single person fighters. And a couple were little better than a space capable car.
But the price tags were all in the quarter million QOBOP or greater ranges.
He had never placed anything on the market before, so Nathan was surprised to find that he had a seller account already. After a few clicks it made sense though. Seems like Bubba had set one up to sell…
“Why the hell is he selling cats?”
The transaction history showed him the sells but nothing to hint to as why. It seemed though that an Earth Feline: Male sold for a little over 0.05 QOBOP and a female for just a little more.
Shrugging Nathan checked to see that Bubba could not access his QOBOP nor do anything if he sold things.
As he was clicking through to select the Transport Nathan froze…
“How the hell is Bubba selling things in game? Things from Earth?’ The realization set Nathan on his ass. There was only one way. If this wasn’t a game… If somehow someone had managed to … to… to do all this…
But if he was here, and Bubba was on Earth… Was he not real? Perhaps maybe a robot? No those dead people were real bodies. Unless of course there was some kind of mind control going on. To make him think he saw and felt real bodies when really they were just robots… That didn’t make sense. But maybe it could explain the charge for deaths… Creating a new robotic body would not be cheap, even one that was in effect remote controlled.
But there would be delays in his actions signals took time to travel even if somehow the signals were almost instant there would still be some delays.
Clones? With some kind of mental download? That could explain the lapse of nothing remembering things the other did. Heck Nathan really had no clue what Bubba was up to for the last month while he was working on the station. That could also explain the delay for getting respawned…
Nathan’s mind wondered and swirled with possibilities for a while longer. Then he finally shook his head.
“It really doesn’t matter how. Seems this is not just the game that was advertised. For me nothing has really changed.”
Picking up the tablet again Nathan selected the Transport and placed it in the market. He considered putting it up for auction but when he saw the quick sell amount, he hit it so fast someone might have thought he was worried the system would change its mind.
*** System Message ***
Are you sure you wish to sell; IPX092-QI Elixnox Personnel Transport (H) in poor quality for 357,999 QOBOP?
*** System Message ***
Hitting the confirm icon again a new message appeared.
*** System Message ***
Thank you for selling your vehicle. We will be by in 32 hours to pick up the merchandise. Your balance will be handed over at that time. Feel free to purchase items in the store using the credits for now. Any remainder will be transferred using standard chips.
*** System Message ***
Nathan jumped up and did a little happy dance. He was fucking rich! He could buy himself a ship and get the hell off this station! Well not really… The thought brought him back down to reality. If that much money would get him a ship then it was likely the ship he just sold would have done the trick. Anything he could buy would be more of the same. No what he needed was to use that money and work on the station. It was his key to a great ship. It was his future.
With that thought, he began the biggest shopping spree he had ever done!
Nearly two hours later Nathan looked at the list of items and then confirmed the purchases. As he watched with mixed feelings, he saw the balance dropping like Facebook stocks in early 2018. When it stopped, he had a mere 32,192 QOBOP arriving tomorrow. Still a sizable amount but, nothing in comparison to what he had.
With a sigh, Nathan got up checked to ensure Boov was okay and made his way to a spare bedroom for the night.
Chapter 08 – Lions, Tigers, and Wiponie! OH MY!
Back in the Sol System, Humanity was on the verge of the largest war in generations. It was widely known now that the game Stellar Survival Quest is not just a game. A few states still tried to hold that knowledge back from their general populations, but even in the most restrictive dictatorships the knowledge was spreading.
Wars were raging across the Middle East and Africa as terrorist groups and freedom fighters alike, learned skills then put them into use in real world attacks.
The world powers were in another kind of war. The balance of power that had kept the world semi stable for nearly a hundred years was crumbling. In the North American Union, European Union, Russian Empire, and Peoples Republic of Asia the central governments were struggling.
Not only were they in an arms race to improve suddenly outdated weapons and defenses, but they were suffering from a d-centralization of power. Individuals and more worrisome companies were using the game to quickly train and then construct new technologies. Although still mostly safe on Earth these private entities were in a full out war in space. Every day the news reports would list several battles that have taken place over several different areas of the Sol System. These battles ranged from small attacks on a private space station under construction, to full-scale battles in first generation space fighters.
The nations were also growing more and more concerned because it seemed they were going to lose the race. Not a single large nation had managed to work through the completely obstructing red tape of their own governments to establish any presence outside the planet. Whereas there was a least three dozen outposts spread across the system held by large companies and three times that owned by private individuals.
With all this chaos going on a few glaringly obvious questions were being overlooked. Who had really sent the “Game” to Humanity? Why had they done it? How did it work? Then finally, why could no one produce a working copy of the game pod, except those made by those directly licensed to make the official versions. Then those licenses limited the number that could be made. Any attempts to make more would resulting in units that would not function. Already in Africa, a warlord had surrounded an industrial plant creating the pods, so he could control where the finished working products were going. His forces had not lived two full days until a different group overthrew them and in the process damaged the very factory they were fighting over.
When Nathan awoke his mind raced for a few moments. Somehow he was not in bed like he thought he should have been. Then things came back to him in a rush. He had awoken slightly more than an hour ago. Upon waking he had eaten, shit, showered, and shaved and fully gotten ready for the day. Now he stood on stiff legs directly in front of the airlock in his spacesuit, as if just waiting to head out. This whole time not a single thought had went through his mind.
“This has to be something to fucking do with Bubba… It has too.” Nathan growled.
Looking over his gear he quickly discovered the autopilot or what the hell ever had been going on had not grabbed all the things he would need. Foremost was the tablets. Grabbing both, he considered his plans for the day. He had two more days until the Humans would respawn. By that time he would need to be ready for them. Or else they would die again. Nathan considered that, for a moment.
Was it so bad if they died? After all this was his station. If they were here they would be trying to claim things and one had even gone so far as to steal his transport. Little good it did them, but the fact remained. Maybe this time they would kill him and take everything. So did he really want them here? Shaking his head Nathan sighed.
“I can’t just stand by and let them die. Even if I do not like the fact that they are here. I can’t just do that.”
His mind went on, today would be the arrival of the first set of deliveries he had ordered, and the Transport would be picked up. So he needed to make sure everything was ready there. After all that he would continue to get the module’s power systems opera
tional. After that… Well he could see if he managed all that.
Decided, he made his rounds to check on Boov whom was still asleep. Then the tree who also did not even crack a glowing eye when he approached. Satisfied he exit the habitat.
Two things became suddenly obvious to him after exiting.
First it was dark inside the cargo bay. The Transports light had gone out for some reason. Nathans mind was considering this when the second thing happened.
He ran smack into the maintenance robot. The things drum like body prevented him from ramming his family jewels directly. But, that did not prevent the full lower body impact from knocking the air from him, while still applying more direct force than was pleasant to his man bits.
The impact also had two unplanned results. Both Nathan and the robot lost contact with the stations floor plating. For the robot that wasn’t a big deal. Sensors detecting the situation turned on high powered magnetics on the underside of the keg like body, between the treads. This force was enough to counter the haphazard force Nathan applied and the bot slammed back down to the metal plating.
As for Nathan though, he could not just make his ass an electro magnet. He had no easily obvious way to stop his impromptu flight, or heck to even gain control of it. With his new math skills he quickly did the calculations and groaned. It would take him nearly six hours at his current rate to float near enough to anything that he could regain control.
“Hey the robot!” He shouted a minute later.
Pulling out the tablet he pulled up the admin page and froze. Unsurprisingly the robot had completed the que of tasks he had given it. Although, the rate of completion was faster than Nathan had expected: it was obviously done. Why else would it be just waiting there?
No what made him freeze was the status of the Wipynie Squad. The system showed their life signs as critical. It seemed the transport pods were close to running out of power. An eventually Nathan had not even considered. He did not know what to do with these Wipynie, nor why he was able to buy them. But buying and selling intelligent beings seemed to be a common thing in this larger Galactic Community. Regardless Nathan had enough going on and did not want to deal with … well with whatever these things were. Now though it seemed he had little choice. After checking the exact information he breathed a sigh. The pods still had enough power for 6 hours. So he had time.