by Atlas Kane
A new Interface Controller has been chosen.
Congratulations, you are now the township’s Interface Controller. What actions would you like to take?
Turn off all power! Turn it off now!
You wish to turn off Interface power?
Yes, turn it off.
Warning. If interface power is turned off completely, power might be insufficient to reboot Town Interface. You wish to turn off Interface power?
Yes, goddamn it! Turn it off!
As soon as he made the order, the screen fluttered out in his mind, and when he opened his eyes, the room stood in total darkness.
Then the black around them erupted in howls of pain. Maashtem, the up-jumped pocket of shade, screamed in a torrent of rage. No words were formed, but a foul wind stirred the air, and Cade tensed, expecting to be attacked.
But soon, the voice began to fade. It was dying, Cade somehow knew, and after another minute of outrage, everything grew still. He thought it was over until a rushing of air pulled the opposite direction, toward where the shadow beast had infested the wall. A great sound like an eruption of air falling into the vacuum of space ripped through the room, and then all was perfectly silent.
“It’s gone,” Satemi said, her voice calm yet heavy with fatigue.
“How do you know, and are you alright, Minda?”
Minda answered immediately. “I’m fine. Are you sure it’s gone, Satemi?”
From the darkness, the woman called out after a heavy sigh. “Yes. The mask let me see the thing for what it was. I saw its life-force. There is nothing left in here but the three of us. Even the Interface is gone.”
A moment later, and Minda was striking another torch, and the room came to life once more.
When they all had fire in their hands, Cade walked over to where the shadow beast had fallen. He didn’t know if he could loot such a creature, if there would even be a body left. What he found was a simple golden disc the size of his palm. He picked it up and flinched. The item was chilled as if almost frozen.
He inspected it to see what information he could find. The prompt was simple.
Town Interface Key
Quality: N/A
Description: A bound item that allows the Interface Controller of a given township to manipulate the Interface settings.
“Okay, that is simple,” he thought. Then in a weary voice, called out to the little bastard they needed most. “Pablo!”
When the demon appeared, he blinked in surprise at the chamber. “What is it, Caderick, and where in the abyss are you?”
“We wanted to ask you the same thing. You didn’t know there were townships in this world?”
The demon’s dragon form crashed to the ground, his eyes bulging as it finally found the golden altar in the center of the room. “How did you? Caderick, these have all been lost for hundreds of years. Antinium is older than you know. You’ve somehow found a relic. I had no idea they were still serviceable, or I might have mentioned trying to find one. The only other I know of is… well, not accessible. A dragon took a liking to it, and the last fools who tried to retrieve its key ended up in its belly.”
Cade sighed, unsure of what to make of their discovery. “Okay, fine. This is the key, but it says it is a bound item. Do I just think about binding it to do so?”
“Yes, but this one is a bit more specific. Hold it to your forehead, and then mentally prompt it to bind,” the demon said, and as Cade did as he suggested, Pablo reached out a small, scaled paw in belated warning.
Cade screamed as the item somehow bound itself to his consciousness. His head exploded with unimaginable pain. The sensation was grating, like dental picks were scraping the inside of his skull methodically.
“It is said to be quite uncomfortable,” Pablo said as the cry of pain died down at last.
Satemi held Cade up, arms wrapped around his waist. His whole body was covered in sweat, and the room swam around him. An iron bitterness filled his mouth, and he was surprised he hadn’t shit himself.
Minda was kind enough to say what needed saying. “You’re an ass sometimes, Pablo.”
After a few minutes, Cade was recovered enough to try to use the key. He was worried it might not work, but the system warning said the power might be insufficient.
Following Pablo’s instructions, Cade placed his hand on one of the pillars and thought Activate Interface.
A whirring filled the air and the same dim lights came on like before. Free from the constant drain of the shadow creature, they were brighter, filling the domed room with enough light to read by.
Once more, Cade found himself speaking to the Interface AI.
Town Interface Activated. Please name township.
Camp Casmeer.
Township name accepted. Initiate full system reboot?
Yes.
Reboot initiated.
The room came alive with activity. The altar rose and began to expand above him, and a panel rose from between the pillars, symbols glowing across its surface. More lights switched on leading down the tunnel they entered from, and most surprising, a section of the floor nearby fell away, a staircase leading down into some unknown depth.
And then the lights shuddered and dimmed, the stairs stopped forming, and all the moving parts of the altar halted in place.
Sighing, Cade closed his eyes to read the single message he knew would be there.
System Reboot failed. Insufficient power source. Obtain 5 or more Mana Shards to resume.
“Well, it was worth a try, you guys. Says we need something called Mana Shards. Any idea where we might get those, Pablo?”
As the demon’s eyes met his, he knew the answer. Still, the little guy was polite as ever and answered the query as best he could. “Caderick, I do apologize, but I believe the only source of Mana Shards in Antinium would be Tanrial itself. You will need to take the city to obtain them.”
The three explorers sighed in frustration together, and they made their way back to the beloved Camp Casmeer. There was much work to do, and though Cade’s head still throbbed, he planned to start as soon as possible.
According to Pablo, the Interface would allow them access to a powered shield, to advanced construction options, and much more. It was a tease to find out such boons were possible only to have them taken away again.
But as they walked back up the slope toward home, Cade knew somehow they would manage.
22
A Job for the Handy
They’d spent the previous afternoon and evening preparing for a long day’s work. Having seen the right vines to do so, Minda led a short expedition in harvesting sufficient materials to make dozens of feet of cordage. Building up the town was in order, and not having the Interface meant they were stuck in the Stone Age for now.
So the three prepared food to eat as well as some to store away to fuel their labors without taking up too much time. And as the night waned, they rolled cordage until their hands were blistered and their fingers ached.
The following morning they had a proper meeting. Having the cloud of defeat dissipate somewhat, all three villagers were ready to discuss what was best for their future and begin work at last.
Having washed the night’s sleep and breakfast off his hands and face, Cade returned to the campfire and slapped his hands together. “Totally sucks we can’t have the defensive shield, and who knows what else we are missing out on because the Interface is down. But we can still make a suitable place to live the old-fashioned way. There are at least three categories we should discuss: defense, food, and any building or kind of improvement that could boost morale. Let’s start by sharing what our individual talents are as well as how our classes or skills might achieve our goals. What do you think?”
Minda bounced on the balls of her feet, and Cade pictured her sitting behind a desk three times her size, raising her hand to be called on in some long-ago classroom. “Yes, Minda. Would you like to speak?”
“Okay, so as you guys know, I am the
best hunter, tracker, and pretty much only one of us who’s worth a damn in the forest,” she started, throwing an apologetic glance at her companions. “Also, I have already started the construction of our permanent house. The plants will continue to grow a few feet a day, thickening at the base as they do so. I think in a week’s time it will be finished. Until then, the tent worked well enough. Just need to hope there’s no intense rain any time soon and we’ll be fine.”
Cade thought of that and made a note in his head. No, no use in that. Everything needs to be shared in the open. “That reminds me of one important task though it isn’t a very fancy one. We need to dig some irrigation channels so that the water here will be able to run off. Nothing would be worse than sleeping in a puddle.”
Minda nodded, approving of the pragmatic suggestion. “And perhaps you can make the irrigation feed the garden I will be making. That brings me to my talents. As part of my race, the Crioshi, or beastkin as so many call me, I have heightened senses especially regarding hearing and smell. Not only can I say that Cade shit a bit too close to camp this morning, but I can also find several species of edible flowers, fruit, seeds, and fungus. While you two do something grand, I would like to have free rein to track down what I need to build a garden.”
“Well that takes care of food. With the addition of all the deer meat, we won’t have any issues feeding ourselves for months to come,” Satemi noted, folding her arms in thought. “That leaves defenses to you and me, hero boy. We can put off anything extra until we have a foundation set up. In regard to skills and talents, I chose to have a dual Occupation specialty. I assume you did too, am I right, Minda?”
The beastkin smiled, answering, “Yep. The two I picked were called Herbalist and Primal Cultivator. Picking two removes some of the perks, but mine overlap nicely. What are yours, Satemi?”
Cade scrunched up his face, confused and a bit alarmed. The tall woman answered nonchalantly. “Leather Worker and Archaic Builder. The first is straightforward. I have skills that allow me to refine hides into leather and then shape them into clothing, armor, and other resources. The second is an odd skill that Pablo warned me against at first. It is very basic knowledge that, when applied to structures present in the city of Tanrial, is laughable. But in the jungle, it stands out. I know how to make a few basic structures and have some ideas already regarding defenses.”
It was obvious that Minda was impressed with the woman’s capabilities. Cade was too, with both of them, and before he could ask the obvious question, Minda asked him, “What is your chosen Occupation, Cade? Or did you choose a dual profession like us?”
He stared at the ground awhile, shaking his head. “Pablo is gonna kill me. I haven’t asked him anything in too long it seems, but we were busy trying not to die. I think I should summon him as soon as we finish our talk.”
Satemi cleared her throat, prodding the reluctant man. “You did choose an Occupation, right, Cade?”
The grin he gave her was both conciliatory and pleading. “Like I said, I’ll just summon Pablo and get right on that when we’re done.”
Minda’s laughter broke the tension, and she added something positive as always. “This is a good thing. We just need to think of what we lack, and you can choose that profession. You could choose something to do with medicine or alchemy, maybe even blacksmithing, though that does seem less useful right now. Just talk it over with Pablo. His analytical skills far surpass ours. Demons are geniuses.”
Thinking of demons made Cade think of Ketzal again. What Occupation does she have? And how can we rescue her before Vormer destroys her soul?
Though Cade had begun their meeting with confidence and a clear direction in mind, it was the girls who ended it. Minda walked over and pinched his butt, saying aloud for Satemi to hear as well, “I’ll be over in the grove of trees. Cade, if you can dig a few furrows for me over there where the sun is so strong, I’d appreciate it. Let’s say, ten feet long and at least five rows for now. Nothing crazy, but six inches deep for now. And like I said, make sure you link those to the irrigation you plan on digging. Love you guys! Have fun! Meet you all for lunch in a few hours!”
Cade laughed, the brazen nature the woman possessed was enough to charm anyone in their right mind.
Then Satemi came up, grabbed him by the shoulder, and announced, “I’ll need your axe for a short time. An hour should do to start. I’d like to show you what I have in mind for the defenses rather than discuss them. I’ll meet you back here when I’m done. And Cade, speak with Pablo immediately.”
With implicit trust and a building sense of anxiety—he hated how it felt to be behind and uninformed—Cade unlatched his axe and handed it to Satemi.
She took the weapon into her hands and weighed it a moment. After deciding it wasn’t a bag of feral dicks out to kill her, she walked away toward a stand of trees.
Cade examined her ass as she did so, enjoying a few moments of peace before he summoned the demon he hadn’t meant to avoid. If Minda’s ass was a peach, firm and sweet, then Satemi’s was a pear. Her long waist and wide hips flared out to give way to an elegant set of ass cheeks, the bottoms of which were plainly visible as she strutted away. Presumably, they had all had pants, but over time and wear, all that remained were ratty baby shorts that looked ready to fall apart at any time. He wasn’t about to complain, rather, he stared at the dark crease visible only in flashes as she walked. It would be nice for them to feel clothed, however, when working or fighting. It was hard to feel secure without something to cover your ass with.
Finding a suitable place to sit down in the sunlit grass, Cade summoned the demon helper, his voice as dry and patronizing as it could be. “Pablo, can you please come help me.”
Pablo materialized at once, not at all upset or delayed by Cade’s dull and dreary summons. In fact, the purple dragon was smiling when he appeared, which gave Cade pause. “This is a lovely place you all have found. My, it even has a waterfall! Caderick, you’ve outdone yourself! And I thoroughly approve of the name. Camp Casmeer is as cheerful as this glade.”
“Has a nice ring to it, yeah?”
“It does. It does,” Pablo said, and his wings drooped just a little. “And again, I am so sorry that the Interface is not active. I imagine this entire area could be protected by the magical dome. I am sure you three will devise a plan to oust old Vormer soon though.”
Cade ran his hands through his hair, sighing. “Yes, I suppose we’ll have to. Though I have no idea how it might be accomplished. Too many guards and the bastard himself does seem pretty strong.”
The demon nodded, despondently, then shifted the subject with as much cheer as he could muster. “Now, I am sure you have something dreadfully important to tell me, but please answer one thing for me first. Has there been any sign of the abyss creatures returning?”
Cade swallowed. He had been worried as well, but not a trace of the alien beasts had been seen since their last attack. “No. Thank the gods, it’s been quiet so far.”
“Good. I spoke with some friends, and an official inquiry has been filed with The Council. Trouble with that is it might take weeks or longer to reach them. Gods aren’t exactly busy creatures if you could imagine. They mostly let their minds drift along with creation. And time works differently outside of this world. My message has been delivered, but to be understood, processed, and answered… who knows how long that will be.”
The demon cleared his throat and asked, “What was it you called me for exactly?”
Rolling his eyes, Cade realized that if Pablo couldn’t find out any new information on the abyss creatures, nobody could. They would simply have to hope the crisis was over. “I had a nice chat with Satemi and Minda. They told me about Occupations. Do you have a good reason why you didn’t feel I needed to know about them?”
The dragon landed on the ground before him and roasted a piece of grass with a tiny gout of infernal flame. Then, shaking his head, Pablo continued. “Your attitude isn’t helpful or wanted. An
d I would have told you of the Occupation earlier, but you have not had the luxury of time or safety to begin such endeavors. I am simply pleased you are alive to do so now. Have you given much thought to the Occupation you wish to pursue?”
Groaning, Cade pushed aside his frustration. Dealing with what a demon deemed pertinent information was something he would need to get used to. “Not really. Just found out. But the girls said I could choose a dual profession. Why would everyone choose two?”
“Like combining two weapons together, choosing two professions results in a penalty. In the case of Occupations, the penalty results in a 25% reduction in skill increase. Add that to the fact that you’ll be spreading your efforts across two sets of skills, and the dual profession option shows its limitations. However, given the size, or lack thereof, concerning your current village population, having more professions available seems the better option.”
Cade nodded, having had the same suspicion himself. Why else would both Minda and Satemi choose dual if it wasn’t a good choice?
“Okay, I’m going with dual then. But what Occupations do you think would be best? Is there some massive list for me to check out?”
“Pretty much. There are six thousand four hundred and nineteen professions currently available on Antinium, and when considering the effects of combining two skills with the dual options, many more. I can make that simpler, however. Most of the professions deal with the advanced machinery and technology found in Tanrial. As you do not have access to the city, they seem pointless.”