by R. A. Mejia
I walked away toward the laboratories and thought about Niala and the offer she had made. She was one of the few people that cared for me and saw me as a person. I looked around at the short brick buildings of the Institute and saw it for what it was. Before I’d met with the Gnomish Council and confirmed just how little most of the gnomes thought of me, I would have almost called it a home. But Gnomerad’s animosity and the ambivalence of most of the gnomes toward my goal of being declared a free citizen showed me that, aside from Niala, the gnomes really only saw me as a means to learn about the extinct Metalman race and advance their research on their technology. I’d come to spend less and less time here at the Institute. In part, it was because I needed to spend more time grinding for XP, but it was also because of the fact that any aid I’d previously received from the gnomes had been withdrawn as part of the test to prove that I was worthy to be their champion in the Ultimate Research Warrior Competition.
Still, I needed somewhere to safely repair myself to full health. I’d gotten some coin from selling the tin earlier, and I’d made arrangements to have the materials I needed to repair myself delivered to my room at the Institute while at the marketplace after. I walked through the front laboratory doors, and while I thought I’d been quiet, I must have made some noise because my two gnome handlers, Gnomerad and Tognomey, came out of one of the laboratories to my right.
“There he is, trying to sneak into the labs in the middle of the night. No doubt to steal something or try to cheat his way to level eight,” Gnomerad said, his greasy black hair sticking up at odd angles and his clothes ruffled like he’d just gotten out of bed.
Tognomey, the red-headed gnome who’d stood in my defense before the Gnome Council, came out of the laboratory with a cup of tea in his hands and a smile on his face. He nodded at me and then turned to Gnomerad. “You keep making accusations at our ward, but he’s done nothing to break the conditions set by the Council. Is it no wonder that he’s hardly been seen here these last few weeks?” He returned his gaze to me, and his eyes widened as they finally saw the cracks in my armor plates and body. “What in the world have you been up to that you’d get that damaged?”
I shrugged my shoulders and twiddled my thumbs, my version of a sigh. It felt redundant to tell these two gnomes the same things that I’d just told Niala, but I had an obligation to share with them all the details of my time in the dungeon. In exchange, they reduced the amount of my debt to them, which was really the only way I’d be able to be free of them if I could not become their champion for The Ultimate Research Warrior Competition.
I started my story of what I’d been up to since I’d last seen them. The two gnomes quickly pulled out notebooks from their pockets and took notes while they listened to my story. I recounted my efforts to find the best animal or monster scan for a Mechanical Companion, the various dungeon creatures I’d fought and how I’d killed them, and today’s efforts at guarding the miners while fighting off waves of monsters.
When I gave the hard numbers about how I’d already reached level six and was on my way to getting level seven, Tognomey clapped my back and congratulated me. Gnomerad wrinkled his bulbous nose in annoyance and asked, "How do you plan to reach level eight in time to meet the council's deadline in sixteen days?"
I’d already spilled the beans to Niala and her guard friend, so there wasn’t any point in hiding it. So, instead of answering I pulled my Flintlock Rifle from my inventory and held it out to them. Gnomerad's expression went from a scowl to chuckle and then to an outright laugh. Tognomey looked less impressed than he was a few moments ago.
"That's your plan? The dwarven boom sticks?" Gnomerad asked with another laugh.
"They call them firearms now, not boom sticks," Tognomey said to the dark-haired gnome. Then, turning to me, he added, "But I too am skeptical about such an unreliable weapon being the key to you reaching level eight in time. They are highly inaccurate, take a long time to reload, and they've been known to explode and kill their users."
I considered my own recent mishap in the dungeon and looked down at my newly rebuilt hands and admitted, “What you say is true. The weapons can be dangerous, especially if the powder ignites early or accidentally, like from a monster attack. But I've made improvements to the design, and by combining that with my incombustible internal inventory system, I've reduced the concern for accidental explosions and increased the weapon’s effectiveness two-fold."
Gnomerad's raised eyebrow and smirk told me he did not believe me. "Show us,” he demanded.
"No," I answered simply. The look of incredulity on Gnomerad's face made the refusal worth it on its own.
"But you have to!" Gnomerad shouted.
Even Tognomey looked at me quizzically, but I shook my head. "No, I do not. Our deal obligates me to share anything related to the Metalmen race and any special class developments. This is something else."
Gnomerad fumed and seemed angry--not at missing some new technology but that I would refuse him something.
But Tognomey simply shook his head and asked, "Why would you refuse to share this? We would pay you the same as we always have."
"This is the advantage I need to meet that deadline from the council. I won't let it get out for others to exploit."
I could see Tognomey understood, but Gnomerad fumed over the withheld information and stomped his feet in anger like a petulant child.
“How big are the ‘large’ objects you can make with the new fabrication skill? Is it based on mass or height or width or some combination of factors?” Tognomey asked, obviously trying to change the subject.
“I don’t actually know. It’s an ability I only got today, and I haven’t had a chance to experiment. I’d planned to experiment with it in the Stasis Program while my body repaired itself.”
“Typical evasion of the question,” Gnomerad muttered, making a note on his notepad.
“I’m not evading the question, Gnomerad. I just don’t know. I’ll update you after I finish my repairs.”
Gnomerad scowled and waggled his finger at me. “Which you undoubtedly plan to have us fund. Well, I’m telling you right now that we won’t help you anymore. The council said…”
He was interrupted by Tognomey, “Stop, Gnomerad. Just because you have a vested interest in seeing him fail, it doesn’t mean you get to berate him. I saw a delivery of metals and wood go to his room. Undoubtedly, that’s what he plans to use to fix himself up.”
Gnomerad sniffed indignantly once then said, “Well, unless you have more to report, go get back to unlocking Metalman technology then.” He waited for me to answer, and when I didn’t say any more, he turned and left, returning to the lab he’d come from.
Tognomey shook his head as he watched the other gnome leave then turned to me. “I’m sorry for his attitude. Ever since he failed to return with you from the mines on the third level, he’s been determined to get you kicked out of the spot for the competition. I’m afraid you made an enemy when you dropped him and his golem down that mine shaft and saved your goblin friend instead of returning with him.”
“Gnomerad never seemed like an ally. He’s been against me from the moment I woke up here,” I said.
Tognomey shrugged but didn’t disagree. He paused and pulled out a small pocket watch from his vest pocket. “I’ll be sure to credit the time we’ve spent talking to your debt.” He returned the watch to his pocket and continued, “I’ll leave you to your repairs and experiments. Please let us know how your work goes.”
Once the other gnome left the hallway, I continued onto my room and found the stacks of metal and wood that I’d ordered in a corner of the room. I sat in front of the stacks, activated the repair program, and designated the materials to be used for the repairs.
Warning: Repairs will require 5 hours 32 minutes to complete. Please choose a safe location to complete the repairs. Would you like to enter the Stasis Program while repairs complete?
I said, “Yes,” and the world around me faded to bl
ack.
Chapter 28 - Defense
When the light returned, I was surrounded by white space that seemed to go off into infinity. Even the floor that I was seated on was barely noticeable. After a brief moment, a list of what I could do here in the program appeared.
Practice
Skill and Ability Trees
Memories
I knew from past experience that these weren’t the only things that I could do: they were just the pre-programmed options. I selected the ‘practice’ option, and a long list of my current skills and abilities appeared in front of me.
Blunt Weapons
Deconstruction
Fabrication
Firearms
Haggle
Improve Armor
Infusion
Machining
Metalworking
Magical Spell Scanning
Repair
Sneak
Trap Making
Unarmed Fighting
Woodworking
I chose woodworking, and the list disappeared and a woodworking shop appeared around me. When I had experimented with creating a rifle from the basic Flintlock gun design in space, I’d learned that nothing would appear that I hadn’t created a schematic for. So, while practicing my crafting with Deanly, I’d made sure to scan all the tools and pieces of equipment I could. For woodworking, I made sure to scan all the saws, lathes, chisels, hammers, screwdrivers, and other various tools I’d need to practice the craft. I just needed the program to give me the materials I needed.
“Command: Please place ten wooden two-by-twelves on the table in front of me.”
There was a flash of light, and the requested wood appeared on the worktable. I already had an idea of what I wanted to do, so I went straight to work, cutting and nailing the pieces I needed. If I needed more wood, fasteners, or other materials, I just called for the program to create them. It was the perfect place to practice and experiment. As long as I had a schematic, I could create anything I needed. So, the best thing for me to do was to create an item here and then fabricate it back in the real world.
The basic idea for my portable wall system was to create a wooden frame that could be covered in either wood or a thin sheet of metal and remain hollow on the inside. It would be lightweight and quick to fabricate, and I could fill it up with rocks or dirt to give it some serious weight and the ability to withstand various monsters charging at it. The first version I created was a simple, right-triangle prism design. The flat vertical side served as the wall, and the slanted side served as a way to climb to the apex. I was surprised when I got a notification that I’d created something new.
You’ve created a first of its kind item. Because of your class ‘Inventor’, you receive one bonus skill point for inventing a new item. Would you like to name the item?
“Yes. Call it a Portable Wall,” I said.
Fine Portable Wall
AC 4
Weight 16 lbs
Durability 20/20
It was great to get a free skill point for doing what my class was supposed to, and I wondered just how much I could exploit the ability to ‘invent’ things by recreating technology from my old world here on this one. Despite all the stuff I’d made, this was only the third time I’d gotten such a reward, and I was sure there were some more rules to what qualified as a new invention.
I shook my head and marveled at my creation, though I was confused as to why it was only ‘fine quality’. Then I recalled that my Woodworking skill was only level 10, which meant that “fine” quality was guaranteed with higher quality being much rarer until I improved the skill. Still, the structure looked quite formidable. Unfortunately, the design was too hard to climb up while serving well as a wall. I slipped and fell down several times on the slanted side. In addition, I’d neglected to leave any unfilled space inside of the prism.
I modified the design by changing it from a right triangle prism to a right-angle trapezoid so that it had a flat top, flat bottom, a vertical side for the wall, and a slanted side to climb up. The immediate benefit to the design was that it provided a flat location at the top where I could shoot my rifle from. I also added steps to the middle of the slanted side to make it easier to climb up and a hinged so that I could easily add dirt and rocks.
The design worked perfectly, creating just the effect I wanted. Once it was filled in, it was too heavy to move unless you broke through the wall’s outer shell; and, while you were doing that, any defender had plenty of opportunities to shoot down at you or attack you from the side. Adding a thin sheet of copper increased the armor rating of the front-facing wall section, making it even harder to break through. An iron or steel sheet would have made it even stronger, but the cost of using those materials would be too great considering that I’d be using them as disposable defensive structures. I’d wondered if bronze would be better, but I’d never scanned any of it, so I couldn’t experiment with the material.
Fine Portable Wall Version 1.3
AC 6
Weight 18 lbs
Durability 20/20
I’d hoped that simply modifying the original design would be enough to get me another free class skill point, but I was disappointed when the item description showed it as a version of the original and at ‘fine quality’ still. There must not be enough innovation to qualify as being something new.
As I read the description, I noted that it gave more armor than the dirt wall, but not as much as a properly fitted stone one. The biggest benefit for me was that it was light enough that I could fabricate it in less than half an hour. Sure, a master woodworker could make something like this faster on-site, but they’d also need to bring in the lumber and all their tools, while I was a one-man construction team that could make an exact copy of the wall every time.
Anything I made in the Stasis Program automatically got recorded as a schematic, so I wouldn’t need to scan the wall. But I did need to test it. I recalled the main menu and looked over the skills I could practice. I noted that my firearm skill wasn’t my highest one, despite using it rather frequently and I noticed that none of my combat skills were growing as quickly as my crafting ones. I could only shrug after I looked at my character sheet and saw that my specialization provided a bonus to crafting skill progression and a penalty to combat-oriented ones. Still, as long as they got better, I was fine with putting in the extra practice time.
I activated the practice session for the Firearm skill, and the woodshop around me shifted, and a target range was built from the ground. Several target dummies at increasingly farther distances stood downrange, and there was a table with my Flintlock Rifle and a stack of paper cartridges right in front of me. I wondered how the Metalman Operating System knew exactly what weapons I wanted but chalked it up to advanced programming and the fact that the OS was part of me. It would know exactly what tools, ammo, and weapons I had in my internal inventory and what I'd been practicing. It was the same reason that only weapons I'd scanned already showed up to use here. Otherwise, I could practice with every weird weapon I could imagine or had seen in a movie when I was alive on Earth.
I reached out and grabbed the Flintlock Rifle. The weapon was just as heavy as it was in the real world, and I felt an odd comfort with it in my hands. I'd spent so many hours making it that it felt like an extension of me. I loaded the weapon with the paper cartridge, primed the pan, took aim at the closest target, and pulled the trigger. There was the familiar pause as the flintlock struck the pan, lit the gunpowder there, and blew the minié ball out of the barrel. The smoke from the shot was thick enough to obscure my view, and I had to take several steps to the side before I was able to see that my shot had not only hit the target but blew a fist sized chunk of the strawman out its back. I smiled on the inside, proud of the weapon I'd forged with my own two metal hands.
Still, I wasn’t here just to practice with the rifle. I was here to test the design of my portable wall.
“Command: Build Fine Portable Wall Version 1.3
”
The wall appeared three feet in front of me and to the left of the table. It looked just as I’d built it, and I climbed up the stairs built into the back of the slanted side. I kneeled on the flat top, appreciating how much of a better view of the target range I got six feet off the ground. As I looked out at the straw targets, however, I realized that I needed something else to fight against.
“Command: Please list the available monsters that I can practice fighting against.”
A long list of monsters appeared. There were Squirrels, Scaledons, Trap Spiders, Cactucus, Mudmages, Bile Hawks, Quartz Wapiti, Shadow Wolves, Lightning Condors, and more. It looked like every single kind of monster that I’d ever identified using Inspect or scanned as a base for a potential mechanical companion.
“Command: Place seven Shadow Wolves ten feet in front of the wall and start practice.”
The black-furred wolves appeared and immediately rushed my position. I was startled at just how fast they moved and realized that I’d not reloaded the Flintlock Rifle in my hands. I quickly loaded one of the paper cartridges I’d brought up with me and primed the firing pan. Once loaded, I took aim and fired. The hasty shot missed the wolf I was aiming for, and there was no time to reload as the pack reached the wall. Two wolves made a running jump and nearly reached me at the top of the six-foot structure, and as their bodies slammed into the thin copper sheet at the front, it deformed, and the entire wall shifted. I only realized then that even though the Stasis Program had perfectly recreated the barrier, I’d not filled it in with dirt and rock. Without that, it was nothing more than a light wooden frame and set dressing.
