***
The trip back to the Hall felt longer. Drake kept one hand on his blaster pistol the whole way. He was nervous and kept a looking around him, being careful going around corners. He didn’t like this feeling of being hunted.
Nothing happened on the way back to the Hall, but Drake almost wished something would have. He could at least do something then. He had to find a solution to this pirate problem.
While he was heading back to the guild hall, Samantha suggested that she could make the arrangements to get a room.
Drake felt like he was being dim-witted. This was all still new to him in many ways, and he had forgotten how so many of the services in the Hall were computer controlled.
“Yes, please Sam. But please get the most basic type of room they offer, I’m getting low on funds.”
Since he had not been paid for working in the shop yet, he had about 350 credits left. He doubted the hostel would return any of the money he spent on the room there. In fact, he was worried that they might try to stick him with the bill for the torn up mattress.
“I’ve booked you a room, they only offer daily or weekly rates, and the lowest priced room is 64 credits a week.”
Again, Drake was amazed at how little of an amount that sounded like, and how much it really was in this world. He really needed to adjust his thinking, and just learn to take this world as it was. Credits were not dollars, but his mind kept trying to connect the two.
He would have to find out when he would be paid because he would be out of money in two or three weeks. Sure he had enough to rent a room for four weeks, but he would be spending credits on training too. But his income from the shop would be 120 credits a week… was there an income tax?
“Samantha, is there an income tax on what I’m earning?”
“Yes, the income tax is a 10% flat tax on any income.”
“Then why wasn’t I charged a tax before, for the bounties and stuff… Or do I owe money now?”
“Bounties, ships taken as prizes, and other compensatory benefits are exempt from taxes, by nearly ancient tradition.”
“So, if my claim against the shipping company yields any credits that would be compensatory, right?”
“Yes, since it would be to make up for putting your life in more danger when someone skimped on basic emergency standards. The idea is that you’re getting something because they failed their contract to you as a passenger. So that money would be like paying you back, not something you earned.”
It seemed that this futuristic society could be as much a money trap as the real one… He needed to collect some bounties.
Drake made it back to the Guild Hall, and he found his new room on the eighth floor. His new room was a little better than the one in the hostel. There was a larger bed, a small sitting area, and a slightly larger bathroom; it still had a shower, though. It was an econobox type of room, but an improvement.
Drake was actually glad of his change in location; he felt that this place was a safer base.
He lay down in this new bed and logged out.
Chapter 15 – Sarah’s Tears
It was approaching 7 pm when Kevin walked out of the Omnia game room.
The dinner that night was surf and turf, steak and lobster, with salad, some really good rolls, and beer.
Something had been bothering him almost all day.
After eating dinner, he asked; “Samantha, I thought about our conversation yesterday, I think taking the job at the shop was a mistake. I don’t think I’ll be learning much more there. It sounded like a good idea at first, but with so much automation, I don’t think it’s helping me progress in this game. What do you think?”
“Your right, you should consider giving Cairbre, your two-week notice.” suggested Samantha.
“But becoming a mercenary might be tougher than you think. Right now, you are weaker than anyone you might run up against. Your enemies will be stronger, faster, and likely more skilled. The only reason you have made it this far is by thinking ahead. The pirates in the forest would have killed you. You were about level 1; they were maybe level 4 or 5.”
“How does this level system work, anyway?”
“Your level is determined based on your stats and the effectiveness of your skills. So for combat, your level would be your combat skills combined, multiplied by the stats used by those combat skills. It’s not a simple measurement but an algorithm that combines everything to determine how effective you are in combat.” said Samantha.
“So I could just train and raise my combat level?” asked Kevin.
“Yes and no. How realistic can just training be after all? To be sure of your level, you have to put your life on the line. But, yes, you need realistic hard training for your combat level to increase.”
Kevin nodded… “Sounds good, but you keep talking about ‘combat level.' What other levels are there?”
“Well some people never engage in combat, but they might be a high level, in their own field. A gunsmith, for example, might have the skills and abilities of a level 10 gunsmith, yet only have a combat level of 2, if he didn’t train in combat skills,” said Samantha.
“If we can deal with the pirate problem, and get some funds. I would suggest something like what your military calls a boot camp. We would dump the drills and team building of course, but you could use some time to get more fit and learn some of the history, culture and basic tools for living in the Imperium.” said Samantha.
“That sounds like a plan, but Samantha, I would like to train for speed, as much or more than strength. I think moving and thinking fast will be rewarded more in Omnia then strength. We should aim more for the body of a gymnast or a martial artist than a body builder.”
“I think your right Kevin,” replied Samantha. “Speed and dexterity, but you will also need strength and a strong constitution.”
“Eventually, though, we will need to switch your training focus from your body to your mind. Your mind has great untapped potential. You have the ability to learn much faster, and remember clearer, than you ever were able to before.”
“Speaking of stats, it’s been a couple days since I’ve checked my progress.”
“Here are your current stats, Kevin.” said Samantha.
Samantha brought up a blue screen for Kevin to examine:
Name: Horatio Drake
Race: Human
Hit Points: 160
Combat Level: 1.4
Strength: 1.4 (max 3.5)
Charisma: 1.9 (max 3.5)
Agility: 1.4 (max 3.6)
Intelligence: 1.9 (max 3.7)
Dexterity: 1.1 (max 3.5)
Wisdom: 1.1 (max 3.5)
Constitution: 1.6 (max 3.5)
Memory: 2.2 (max 3.7)
Maximum values are based on personal genetics.
“And how does that compare with when I first entered the pod?”
“Some of your stats have grown considerably; the gene-therapy also gave you a boost.”
“These were your stats when you were first scanned into the system:,” said Samantha.
Samantha brought up a second blue screen for Kevin to examine:
Name: (Pending)
Race: Human (Earth subtype)
Hit Points: 100
Combat Level: 0.7
Strength: 0.8 (max 1.9)
Charisma: 1.0 (max 1.8)
Agility: 0.8 (max 2.0)
Intelligence: 1.5 (max 2.1)
Dexterity: 0.7 (max 1.8)
Wisdom: 0.8 (max 1.7)
Constitution: 1.0 (max 1.9)
Memory: 1.3 (max 2.1)
Maximum values are based on personal genetics.
“Hah, if this were real life and my charisma increased that much, I would look like a male model,” said Kevin
“Charisma is not that easy to define, it’s not all on the surface. Some of it is how people carry themselves, and their level of confidence. A lot of what people call charisma is a type of energy people give off. It’s something leaders lea
rn to use subconsciously. And if you want to work on that skill, you will need to learn and use leadership and deportment.”
“But yes, most of the improvement with that stat was a result of the physical changes to your body.” said Samantha.
“You will also notice a big improvement in your memory. A lot of memory is innate, but memory can be exercised and developed too.”
“You can also see that your combat level doubled. About half of that is stats, and the rest is from training combat skills,” said Samantha.
All this talk about his in-game body brought up another concern. Kevin had been in the game pod for about three days straight, he wondered how his body was coping.
“Samantha, while I have been in the pod, how is my physical body in real life doing?” asked Kevin
“Kevin, I’m a little hurt that you would think I wouldn’t take good care of you,” replied Samantha. “The pod was designed so that I can feed, clean, and exercise your body, keeping you healthy while you are inside. My connection to your body allows me to move it inside the pod without your noticing. Just like a person moves in their sleep. And the pod itself has tools that let me stimulate your muscles.”
“So you should actually feel an improvement to your body when you exit the game pod, which you will need to do soon anyway since the pod needs servicing, and the appointment we made for the servicing is coming up.”
Kevin had forgotten that Samantha had mentioned setting up the service.
“Is it too late to ask them to install the electronic locking system you mentioned?” asked Kevin. “From the way it sounded, the electric door lock would let you monitor anyone coming to the door while I’m in the pod, right?”
“Yes, Kevin… Just a moment while I check to see if it’s possible to add the installation to this service.”
Kevin headed to the training room while Samantha checked on the scheduled service.
After seeing the increases he had gained in the last few weeks, he was motivated to continue training.
Samantha appeared while he was still stretching. “Yes, they can install the new lock; they said that it would only take a few minutes to do. You should keep your old lock for when you decide to move out of the apartment. So I already informed the company to leave the old lock… It’s all set up; they should be here in a couple hours; about thirty minutes for them. I’ll let you know when they knock.”
Kevin stood up from stretching his legs to give Samantha a hug and a kiss on the forehead. “You're great, thanks, Sam.”
The hug seemed to make Samantha happy.
He then returned to training.
***
Kevin was in the middle of meditation practice… he was trying to develop his psionic sense skill when the interruption came.
“Kevin, there is a knock on the door… getting ready to open the pod now. Remember to get dressed.” She teased.
As the pod opened, Kevin was thinking, oh yeah, I’m naked. He pulled off the mask covering his face and hurried to put on the sweats and t-shirt he left on the floor next to the game pod about three days ago. He thought, ‘I need a better system for this, maybe I should get a bath robe I can put on in case of unexpected visitors.’
The knock on the door repeated.
Kevin yelled, “On my way.” as he headed to the door.
When he got to the door, the person waiting for him was not one of the promised technicians coming to service the pod and install his new door lock, but Sarah from the fast food restaurant he used to work at.
“Hi Sarah, it’s good to see you…” he trailed off, as Kevin noticed the bruise forming around her left eye and tear streaked face.
Kevin didn’t ask Sarah how she knew where he lived, she had given him some rides to work back when his car broke down and was being repaired.
“Come in, Sarah, please sit down. Can I get you something to drink…? I don’t have much… maybe some tea or water?” Kevin looked around in embarrassment; his little studio apartment was a mess. He had spent so much time in the game pod, that… well no, he just wasn’t that good with keeping the place clean when he wasn’t expecting visitors. Kevin cleared off some space on the couch for Sarah to sit on.
“Please sit down.”
“What happened?” asked Kevin as he guided Sarah to the cleared part of the couch.
As they sat, he put an arm around her shoulders.
Kevin had never hugged Sarah before; she had always just been a friend and co-worker. And she had a big boyfriend, who seemed to intimidate most people. Whenever Kevin saw him, he always seemed angry, like he had it in for the world or something; Kevin could never figure it out. Some people give off the feeling of caring and concern, like Sarah, and a few like her boyfriend are just the opposite. It was one of those things Kevin sometimes thought about, the two being so different. But he figured it help prove the old saying about opposites attracting each other.
Now Kevin couldn’t remember the man’s name, was it Bill, or Bob, maybe Bud??? Kevin always prided himself in his memory for facts and details, but for some reason names were never easy for him, except for the names of people he worked with or friends.
While Kevin held Sarah and she cried, the Intelecom technicians showed up.
Sarah turned away from these strangers and hid her head in Kevin’s chest; he thought she was embarrassed to be crying in front of strangers. Kevin put both of his arms around her to try to comfort her, but he could not send the technicians away. The game pod needed servicing, or Kevin couldn’t continue to use it…
“Please, go ahead and service the pod. Sorry, something just came up, guys, can you take care of the servicing while I take a walk with my friend… Oh, wait I forgot I need to be registered with the lock, right?”
There were two men, both wearing Intelecom shirts like the first team who delivered the pod… and they looked embarrassed to have walked in on a private moment.
“Please just work around us.” said Kevin.
The service men seemed professional and went about their tasks in silent efficiency.
It only felt like hours sitting there holding a weeping Sarah, while they replaced his lock, and serviced the pod… But Kevin was certain only a couple minutes passed.
As the man replacing the lock finished, the other man was wheeling a dolly of stacked containers out the door.
The man who installed the lock said; “When you’re ready, all you need to do is put your three middle fingers of your right hand on this pad.” The technician pointed to a clear flat area on the face of the lock. “Once you do that you will be registered as the owner. The lock is connected to your game pod, so if you want to give access to anyone else, just tell your pod, all of them have audio pickups that let them monitor nearby sounds.”
“Thanks, do I need to sign off on the service or anything?” asked Kevin.
“No, like I said, your pod monitors everything automatically.” The man said with a smile; “It’s one of the things that make this job so easy, there is so little paperwork to deal with. We just go out and do the job… never had a job like it before.”
“Have a good day.” said the man. And Kevin waved as he departed.
Kevin continued holding Sarah until she calmed down some.
Then she said, “I’m leaving Ben.” And then she started crying again, as if what she said was too much.
For Kevin the first few minutes of holding Sarah felt good, it made him feel kind of protective. But as time passed he was starting to get a little irritated. It’s not like they were real close friends, so why was this his problem.
Then he remembered all the favors Sarah had done for him over the years.
He owed her… he owed her a lot of favors so Kevin would do whatever it took to help her.
With that thought, the feeling of being a protector returned. Kevin didn’t want to deal with Ben; the guy was big and intimidating looking. But he would just have to see what help Sarah needed. She could stay in his apartment since he practically l
ived in the pod these days…
While Kevin was thinking and dealing with his personal feelings, Sarah finally calmed down. Then she gently pushed herself away from Kevin.
“How about I make some tea? I’m afraid to look in the refrigerator for a soda or beer since it hasn’t been opened for the last week.” Kevin thought if he shared something with Sarah, she might focus on something other then what probably felt to her like her life was falling apart.
Kevin talked while he heated water, and got ready to make tea… And since he was giving Sarah time to get herself together, Kevin busied himself with cleaning the kitchen a bit. Which mostly meant throwing out moldy bread and … he didn’t even open the milk to check, just tossed it into the trash.
“Why haven’t you opened your refrigerator in a week? How can you make food without using your refrigerator?”
Kevin thought, ‘Good, it worked.” And then he started to tell Sarah about the game pod, how it worked and that he was part of the alpha test group of the systems. But, he left any details of the game and Samantha out. It didn’t feel right telling her some things, and he remembered that as a game tester he was not supposed to talk about the game…”
“So that’s why I haven’t been using my kitchen for a week,” said Kevin as he set a cup of tea down on the coffee table. He also placed a small bowl of sugar, and a teaspoon next to it.”
He then said. “I’ll be right back; I need to take out the trash.”
Kevin gathered up the trash bag from the kitchen and went to throw the trash in the dumpster. He stopped on the way to press his three middle right-hand fingers on the door pad as instructed by the technician and was rewarded with a beep. He then closed the door behind himself and took the trash to the dumpster. He thought this would be a good test of the lock. So when he returned he tested the door, it wouldn’t open until he put his fingers on the pad again, then there was a click, and the door could open.
When he entered the room, Sarah was sitting on the couch cross-legged while drinking tea. To Kevin she looked so cute, her mousy brown hair, blue eyes, she had a nice body and a cute freckled face. He would have asked her out in the past, except that he knew she took her relationship with Ben seriously.
Omnia Online (Omnia Online Series Book 1) Page 12