by R. A. Mejia
Greebo put down his knife and fork and took a long drink of his ale. I could tell he was thinking from the creases on his forehead. When he put down his mug, he said, “Nuts, I’ve been thinking a lot since I almost kicked the bucket. Been thinking ‘bout what’s important to me and what I wanted to do now that I got my class.” He paused and took another drink. “It’s hard to explain, but do you remember what I told you about who my pop was and how he helped the dark races to get some rights before he died? When the fellas in the apartment gave everything to help me, even going into the dungeon with you, I finally understood what my pops meant when he said that goblins gotta stick together and help each other. So, like I told ‘ya before, I wanna help the fellas out too somehow.”
I nodded, glad that my goblin friend had pondered similar issues. I found that it was something good people did when they had more resources than they needed to survive. Did you hoard those resources or did you put them to use? Would you build yourself up or build up others?
“Greebo, what would you say are the biggest issues for the people that live in your neighborhood?”
He took another bite of food while he thought about it then answered, “They don’t have enough money for food, a place to live, or healing. The gangs see that and recruit the young to do jobs for them. Muggings, robbing shops, pickpocketing--anything to make a living.” He looked embarrassed but continued, “Even me. I did some shifty stuff to get enough to eat and save up for my class.”
I paused for a moment, remembering how Greebo had sold information about me to Neal Nailspitter, a goblin working for a rival to the Gnomish Research Institute. It was something that had led directly to a brutal attack and kidnapping of myself and almost to the death of Greebo himself. When I’d learned what Greebo did when we first met, it had almost ended our friendship. But I got over it and understood that it was something Greebo had done to survive. Once we had become friends, he’d stopped selling info to Nailspitter, which was what led to Neal stabbing Greebo with a cursed weapon that would have killed him. Thankfully, I was able to get the plant that was used to cure my friend, but it had been a close call.
I considered Greebo’s words for a moment before responding. “Greebo, not having money is not the problem, just a symptom. Why aren’t people getting jobs? There’s plenty of work near the dungeons.”
“Well, most guilds in the city won’t let more than a few of us in, so we can’t get classes to go to the dungeon. Even those that do let us in, like the Scavengers, charge more for their classes than folks make in months. Most won’t hire us either, except as low-paid workers ‘cause we don’t have any skills or a class. It’s a vicious cycle. We can’t get a good job cause we don’t have a class or skills and can’t get a class ‘cause we don’t have a good job to save money from.”
“Then we’ll make the jobs for them and get them their classes!”
“What?” Greebo asked, confused by my exclamation.
“This is our investment. We pay the cost for people to get their class and then employ them to do stuff that we can’t or that they’d be better at. Take our mining, for example. We do decent as miners, but we don’t have the right tools, skills, or abilities. Our trick is using my Artificer ability to turn ore into pure metal. So, why don’t we get someone else that’s better at mining to do that part? They’d not only get more ore, but they’d get better quality ore--all while we were dungeon diving or killing monsters. We focus on what we’re good at and let them do what they’re good at. Everyone wins.”
Greebo looked at me, pure confusion on his face. “We give them the coin to get a class and then give them more coin to work for us? That doesn't seem right. No one’s gonna believe we weren’t trying to trick them with that kinda deal.”
“That’s the thing: We’re not just doing this to help people. We’re doing this to make us even more money . . . which we can then use to help more people and make us even more money. I know that I want to make things that this world has never seen--stuff that will change the city--but that will cost time to learn new skills and gold to produce. If I’m going to have a chance at winning the time The Ultimate Research Warrior Competition, I can’t waste any time. I have to become stronger. But that doesn’t necessarily mean being a good fighter. Working with those other classes these last few days has made me realize that I’m never going to be the best fighter or spell caster. I need to play to my class strengths. This is an investment that will help people, which is what you want, but it’s also an investment that will help me get the resources to accomplish what I want.”
As I spoke and talked out my plan and goals, everything seemed to make sense. “Greebo, you know that I’m the property of the gnomes at the Institute, right? I’m theirs until I pay them back all the gold they spent to find, excavate, and repair this Metalman body. I can either pay the tens of thousands of gold back to them or get them their research funds by winning their competition. But I’m worried I’m not going to be able to compete, much less win, unless I can quickly improve myself and figure out how to use my class effectively. If I don’t win this competition, I may never be free, cause I’m sure some of the gnomes would like nothing more than to keep me as their property indefinitely. This plan feels like the path to success and even maybe my freedom.”
Greebo finally nodded, indicating that he understood. “We help them. They help us. Everyone is better off.”
Once I had Greebo on board, we discussed the nitty-gritty of our plan. Together, we had a little over 50 silver. It was more than Greebo thought he’d ever have at one time, and we needed to figure out how best to invest that money so that it would grow into even more.
Equipment and training was expensive. It would drain most of our coin to equip and train anyone, much less large groups of people. Yet, I was the key here again. My class was literally made to solve this kind of problem. I already had schematics for picks and mining helmets. Although I could get away with using the copper pick I had in my inventory because I could repair it when it broke, real miners would need something more durable like an iron pick. The only trick was going to be getting all the materials to fabricate the equipment we needed to outfit a full group of miners. We couldn’t buy broken iron weapons any more, but I had an inkling about how to get those materials anyways.
We started brainstorming, trying to come up with any hidden costs that might prohibit getting a small mining crew started. For one, we didn’t know where to get the mining class or if there was a special guild for resource gathering. The idea was that the crew could mine during the day, and I could refine the metals to be either sold or used to make items. At a minimum, we’d need to pay for the miner class and equipment. Then, if we expanded into our own operation, we’d need craftsmen, a shop, and salespeople. We even discussed long term goals like how to expand the business if it did well into the other venues: we could start a restaurant, and I could show our chef how to make a variety of new recipes, or we could branch into other types of specialty shops like making furniture, weapons, magic clocks, and more.
It was only while listing the types of shops we could open that I realized that I was listing off all the shops that I’d seen in the rich people’s district. I stopped myself and realized that I didn’t just have to imitate them. I had an entire world’s worth of knowledge that would let me create and expand in innovative ways. I instantly imagined all the things I could make and create using technology from my old world as a basis. I would have to incorporate using the magic and tech of this world, but my dreams were big.
A subtle cough from Greebo broke through my daydreaming, and I realized that I’d stopped talking. While our dreams could grow, we both agreed that we needed to start small and work from there. First things first: Get the mining crew up and running to start building resources. We’d start on that the next day.
Chapter 11 - Specialization
Greebo and I separated for the night with a firm plan in mind to make our goals a reality the next day. I walked back to
the Institute on autopilot, still mulling over the things that we’d talked about. The discussion had crystallized what was important to me. It wasn’t fighting in the dungeon, repaying back the gnomes, or even winning The Ultimate Research Warrior Competition. Those were just steps to a bigger, more lofty goal. I was going to make my mark on this world in a way I’d been unable to in my old one. It all started with this business venture. Yes, it would help Greebo’s friends, but it would also start to bring in the allies and resources I needed to create new things. What, exactly, I didn’t know. But I did know that I had hundreds of years of human science floating around in my mind--inventions that this world hadn’t yet and because of their history with magic that they possibly couldn’t imagine. Not only that, but I could discover ways to use magic or artifice, things people on my old world could only write about in our fantasy stories.
My imagination flared with ideas. I’d seen this world's gun technology, and it had only developed a little beyond a flintlock. I mean, why would they need guns here when they had magicians that could throw fireballs? Yet, I knew the power of firearms. World War II had shown the world that the machine gun was capable of killing hundreds at a time, especially when the world hadn’t adapted yet to the technology. I could mow down mudmen by the dozens with a machine gun. But I was getting ahead of myself. Such technology would take years to develop, even knowing some of the technical details. Yet, even the early colonial Americans had rifles. The Kentucky rifle, or long rifle, had a range of 100 yards or more if fired by an experienced marksman. Beyond even that, grenades, land mines, tanks, planes, bombs, were all untapped weapons here. I knew about electricity, chemistry, and I had training as a scientist and engineer to help me develop it all. That I realized was my greatest asset. My mind, combined with this untiring Metalman frame, could work, theorize, test, and develop new technology faster than anyone.
These thoughts helped me realize what class specialization was going to help me the most. Defense or Marksman Specialist would be just fine if I were going to spend my life adventuring in the dungeon or in the wild, and Builder and Alchemist would give me huge advantages in their fields but they either relied on other Metalmen or focused too much on one craft. No, the Inventor Specialization was the only option that would help me move these plans forward.
More sure of myself than I’d ever been before, I pulled up the notification asking for me to choose a specialization and made my choice.
You have chosen the specialization Inventor.
You gain a bonus when crafting items.
When in combat you gain a bonus to attack and damage when using crafting tools.
You lose all attack bonuses to weapons that are not self-made.
You are level 5 and are now able to craft a mechanical companion. Please initiate the Companion Design Program when ready.
I’d focused so much on the crafting aspects that I’d forgotten about that part of the class. I wanted a private space to research what it meant to create a companion meant.
When we arrived, I found my gnome handlers Tognomey and Gnomerad waiting for me, ready to take notes on any new developments in Metalman technology. For once, I was excited to tell them about something that I’d discovered.
“Well, boys, you’ll never guess what happened after I hit level 5.”
“You learned to listen to your betters?” Gnomerad asked snidely.
Tognomey scowled and shook his head disapprovingly at his dark-haired companion but asked me, “I could not begin to guess. Please tell us, Repair.”
I’d come to expect a bad attitude from Gnomerad since I’d foiled his attempt to capture me after I escaped the Institute to save Greebo from the curse that was killing him. So, I directed my remarks to the more respectful Tognomey.
“When I hit level 5, I got the choice to choose a specialization for my class.”
Tognomey’s eyes widened, and I could tell both gnomes were curious, even though Gnomerad tried to hide it. I described the various options I was given and what abilities were supposed to be unlocked as I leveled. Tognomey asked all the questions at first, but even Gnomerad eventually couldn’t hold back his interest.
“So, why did you choose such a foolish specialization as Inventor?” Gnomerad asked. “If you’re to represent the Institute in the upcoming competition, then you would have been better off choosing Marksman or Defense specializations. They’d have really shown off what the Metalmen could do in combat, which would have helped us get the grant money we need.”
“I chose it because I want to be more than a weapon. I want to be a creator, and being an Inventor fit that goal best.” I left out my plans to develop new weapons and technology from my old world, unsure if it was something I’d ever tell the gnomes. “Besides, how can you argue with the chance to see how the Metalmen made their own machine companions.”
“Yes, yes. Show us how they did that,” Tognomey requested.
I wasn’t sure how that worked and inquired to the Metalman OS about the companion Design Program.
Companion Design Program - A program created to aid in the creation of a mechanical companion. Although not truly sentient, these creations move and act much like the animal or monster template they are based on and often have similar traits.
A mechanical companion may fill any role its creator wishes and has the skill to implement. Some are used as fighters, scouts, or assistants. Unless otherwise indicated by a class skill or ability, Mechanical Companions are of the medium- or small-sized category, and when newly made, start at level 1. If the companion is destroyed, another may be made. No Metalman, except where indicated by class ability, is allowed more than one at a time. The costs of creating a companion are substantial, though some class abilities lessen these costs.
I was both intrigued and befuddled by the description. I was sure there was hidden information not presented but the idea of being able to make my own mechanical being was intriguing. The detail that I would only be allowed one at a time put a damper on my brief dream of creating a mechanical army. Plus, they wouldn’t truly be sentient, but it seemed like they would be more advanced than the machines I’d seen walking or pulling carriages. It amazed me how a culture like the Metalmen, so long gone from this world, could still be so advanced.
I told the gnomes about the description of the program and then said the activation phrase. “Command: Activate Companion Design Program.”
Program active. Please scan the animal or monster you wish to use as a template for your companion.
I hadn’t realized it would require a subject to base the companion on. I was a little lost since there were no monsters around.
“Oh, we have plenty of animals in the labs if you need some to scan,” Tognomey volunteered when I mentioned the problem. “Gnomerad, help me get some specimens so we can see how this works.” The grumpy dark-haired gnome reluctantly agreed and the two of them left to gather what animals they had in the lab.
They returned half an hour later pushing several carts with caged animals on them into the lab. There was a large rat-like creature that was almost three feet in length, not counting the tail. There was also a bird, a large insect, and a large frog. I used Inspect on the rat creature.
ROIS - Rodent of Increased Size
Level 1
HP 5/5
Tognomey saw me staring at the rats and said, “These are magically grown rodents, thus their name. Tests are being conducted to see how enlarging animals in their infant and adolescent phases affect mental growth. Larger versions of common monsters in nature are known to have increased intelligence and aggression, and the hypothesis is that there is some connection to their size.”
I didn’t see a direct connection myself, but that’s likely what the experiment was trying to prove or disprove. Still, my purpose was not to double-check these experiments but to get a scan of an animal.
I activated the Companion Design Program and scanned the largest ROIS. My left forearm split apart, and the cylindrical multipur
pose tool popped out and scanned the animal with a red light.
Scan complete. ROIS - Rodent of Increased Size
A 3-D framework of a mechanical version of the creature appeared in my vision. Instead of fur and bones, the machine had a metal and wood frame along with a complex internal system gears, pistons, chains, and wires. Along with the model came a simple character sheet and options to apply several upgrades. The gnomes asked what I was doing, and I realized that they could not see the framework like I could, so I described what the program was showing me, including the character sheet for the mechanical version of the large rodent.
ROIS
Level 1
AC: 10
HP: 5/5
Str: 2
Dex: 11
Con: 11
Int: 2
Wis: 10
Cha: 4
Material Cost: 3 lbs copper, 1 lbs steel, 2 lbs wood, 0.125 lbs ochrium
