They Called Me Madder: The Mad Series Book 2

by Pal, J

  “So what do we need to start erecting defenses?” Liam asked. “I think upgrading the generator for power output and fuel limitations should be the first move.”

  Knurven or our viewers were likely waiting for our conversation to reach that point, because a portal no bigger than my head popped into existence. It ejected a fist-sized sphere before winking out. The chrome ball had the same texture as Delta. As I watched it float at eye level, I expected two little eyes to appear, but my goggles lit up instead.

  Inert Hub Core

  Once upon a time, the core may have sustained an underground bunker or a space station, but now, without fuel and purpose, it is near death and almost useless. Without a Technogogue or Technolord’s touch, it will soon die and crumble into the base elements it’s born from.

  “Holy shit.” I gasped.

  “What is it?” Kitty asked, her hold on my hand tightening. “Please tell me we’re not going to see another ugly eye.”

  “That’ll give the viewers a chuckle,” Liam commented, scuttling close. “Whatever it is, it’s dead. I don’t sense anything from the hunk of junk.”

  “Be nice, Liam!” I exclaimed. “Our sponsors and viewers picked the perfect house-warming gift. It looks like we have some base-building in the future.”

  “Like in your post-apocalypse gamey stories? Oh hell yes!” Liam scuttled closer and poked at the sphere. It didn’t move. “I guess I owe them an apology and a thank you. First things first. What do you need to get it started?”

  When I focused on the device, the “Upgrade” button lit up, so I selected it.

  Upgrading the Hub Core is impossible in its current state.

  The following materials are necessary for core activation:

  power source

  Hub

  McGuffin x2

  building material

  “The details are vague,” I answered, reading the details out loud. “It’s the building material that I can’t figure out.”

  When I touched the core, it dropped out of the air and I scrambled to catch it. The sphere had a nice weight to it, and even though it was inert, my technopathic senses lit up, telling me of its potential. Following Kitty’s lead, I headed down into the basement. As soon as I approached the van-sized generator, “power source” and “Hub” lit up.

  “I’ll get on Morpheus and do a little scouting,” Kitty said. “We might find something down in the city.”

  “I’ve got a better idea,” Liam stated, joining us in the basement. He dropped one of the infant platyhawks at my feet, and much to my surprise, “building materials” lit up on my interface. “You introduced me to the dungeon core and evolution books, Matt. Don’t quite a few of them use cores and monsters as biomass for construction? Perhaps there’s some truth in their hypothesis.”

  “That brain really is Mega.” I laughed.

  The one body wasn’t nearly enough. The interface claimed we didn’t have enough material, so all of us got to work bringing the countless corpses downstairs. Morpheus gathered them at the top of the stairs. We all worked together, shoveling them to the bottom and then painstakingly carrying it all to the generator. By the time we finished, our backs were sore and we were covered in gore. The interface deemed we had done enough and offered to start the process, and I gladly accepted.

  The Hub Core lit up as the McGuffins disappeared. It melted into a mercury-like fluid that first enveloped the generator, then the corpses. An alien hum filled the air. It started within the generator, then spread through the walls and floor until we could feel it in our bones. Then the mound of dead platyhawks turned to liquid, flowing to the generator and covering it. Kitty squirmed as countless silvery threads shot out from it, running along every surface. They seeped up our skin too, leaving an uncomfortable chill in their wake. However, when we noticed the dirt and blood disappearing off our clothes and skin, none of us complained.

  The entire process took five minutes, and when it finished the building resembled a brand-new construction. The paint had the sheen of a fresh coat to it, and all signs of wear and tear were gone. My jaw dropped, looking at the generator. The process had shrunk it and made it sleeker, large pulsing pipes connecting to all the walls.

  The device felt more alive than anything I had created or upgraded so far. There was a young consciousness about it. I could feel it trying to get in touch. The reborn core wanted to know what to do first. It desired to be a home for us by keeping us safe and comfortable. So I told it to do just that by repairing all of the upper floors, strengthening the two upper walls, and creating defensive structures on the roof. The generator replied with a silent confirmation and got to work.

  “Matt!” A sharp implement prodded my side. It was Liam’s spider leg. “Are you alright?”

  I was about to complain, but then I noticed the time displayed in my interface. Close to an hour had passed since I’d started the process. I must have fallen into a daze communicating with the Hub Core. My mastery over technopathy was severely lacking. I’d probably lost myself to the link.

  “When we aren’t struggling to survive, could you please teach me how to commune with machines?” I asked, falling on my arse. My energy bar only had a sliver left. It was more than that, though. Using my newest abilities had severely drained me as well. I needed the time to understand them. “I think I need some food.”

  “You look awfully pale,” Kitty said, pressing a hand against my forehead. “Burning up too. Let’s get you upstairs—”

  I was out cold before she finished her sentence.

  Chapter Five

  Post-Apocalyptic Base-Building

  When I came to, my heart rate jumped to a hundred and I leapt into attention. It wasn’t just that I’d awoken in an unfamiliar place, but also because I wasn’t wearing my goggles, lab coat, boots, or headpiece. Kitty had probably figured that I didn’t need the latter anymore since Liam didn’t sense any telepathic waves in the air. She was most likely right, but one couldn’t be too careful.

  If finding myself alone wasn’t alarming enough, there was a blue screen floating in front of my eyes even though I didn’t have my goggles on. It took a few seconds for my eyes to focus before I could read it.

  Congratulations!

  You’re the first human to establish a .

  You may choose a free B-rank upgrade for the Hub Core.

  Congratulations!

  You’re the first individual on Planet Earth to establish a hub.

  You may choose a free B-rank upgrade for the Hub Core.

  Congratulations!

  You have impressed the system staff by overcoming incredible odds.

  You may choose a free A-rank upgrade for the Hub Core.

  “Holy shit!” I gasped, reading over the notification again. The System was really throwing me a bone.

  Available B-rank upgrades:

  Telepathic Null Zone: Only approved individuals can use telepathic, empathic and illusion-based powers around the hub. Psychic limiters will suffer limited functionality when within the zone.

  Farming Floor: Farmer Drone managed patches of vegetation grow at an accelerated rate on the designated floor. They will provide higher yields than normal. Animals and insects may be added to form a self-sustaining eco-system.

  Menagerie: All manners of beasts grow at an accelerated rate, stronger and smarter than normal on the designated floor. Caretaker Drones will ensure they’re fed, watered, and cleaned. Creatures that have lived in the Menagerie will protect the Hub to the death.

  Automated Plasma Turrets: Smart turrets will populate the building’s roofs and entrances, ready to fire at all entities hostile to the Hub and its owner. User will have the option of using lethal or non-lethal force.

  I selected the Telepathic Null Zone without question. It was precisely what we needed. Things with Pallav and Rajesh would have ended differently if we’d had one of these from the start. Kitty had told me not to think about it, but I’d spent much too long wondering whether Psiconstructo
r would’ve helped me remove the limiters from people. She told me it was unlikely I’d be able to do so straight away. More importantly, she’d questioned whether I’d be comfortable meddling with people’s minds, and I didn’t have an answer for her. Telepathy came with too many moral complexities, and anyone willing to use it to its full extent would be crossing way too many lines.

  Choosing the second upgrade proved much more difficult. The Automated Plasma Turrets would turn us into a fortress, but at the same time, it felt redundant. I could build turret systems and install them around the building. Sure, it would take time and materials, but I could use this opportunity to ensure we always had food for ourselves and any other survivors who joined us.

  Before making a final decision, I checked the third window waiting for my attention.

  Available A-rank upgrades:

  Nuclear Bunker: The floor around the Hub Core will become a near-impenetrable safe room. The core will recycle all food, water, and air to sustain the inhabitants and will absorb ambient energy and biomass to rebuild the Hub.

  Nurturing Field Generator: The generator will spread a field that encourages recovery, regeneration, and growth across three floors. It will ward off disease, and all organic entities living within it will enjoy longer life spans.

  Hub Butler: The system-created butler will watch over the day-to-day running of the Hub and will run it following your express directives. They will be endowed with a random C-Rank ability to protect the Hub to the death.

  Nurturing Field Generator was the winner. It was much too overpowered to pass up. Not only would it heal us and keep everyone healthy, but it would also influence the growth of things on the neighboring floors. I could build a farming drone myself and use it to run a garden on the floor below the generator. Once we figured out how to avail these upgrades without free gifts, I could upgrade it to a Farming Floor, but until then it would serve us just fine. Instead, we could combine the Nurturing Field Generator with the Menagerie for the perfect building defense.

  The floor with the platyhawk eggs became the Menagerie—all the equipment up there was too damaged to use anyway. I placed the Nurturing Field Generator below it. The third floor had an office with a shower, and we could easily transform a section of it into a living space. Perhaps I should’ve consulted my friends before making the decisions, but I knew they’d be pleased with my choices.

  Upgrades installation in progress.

  For future upgrades, please consult your Hub Core interface.

  The windows disappeared, and my attempts at opening the interface failed. I’d probably have to go down to the basement to figure the rest out.

  After taking a moment to study my surroundings, I understood where I was. Kitty and Liam must have carried me to the little break room behind reception and laid me out on the couch there. Now that I didn’t have screens blocking my vision, I found my personal effects by the door and put them back on—except the Doc-Brown headpiece. Unless we left the building, I didn’t need to wear it anymore. My scalp could now breathe and not get all sweaty.

  The door to the break room burst open, and Liam burst in. “We need to get out now!” He exclaimed, already fused with both of his drones. “Something is attacking us.”

  “What? Are you sure?” I asked, pulling on the Charge Launcher and fastening the Pogo Heelies. We’ve only just established the base—”

  “My telepathic field went off,” he answered. “I can’t feel anything! The floors are shifting as well. It’s just not right, mate.”

  “That was me.” I sighed, my shoulders relaxing. “The System rewarded me with a few free upgrades for being the first in the world to establish a Hub. The first thing I installed was a Telepathic Null Zone.”

  “Thank the fucking System,” Liam replied. “You have to tell us before you do something like that, mate. If I had a heart, it would’ve exploded back there.”

  “Sorry.” I laughed. “Well, we’re pretty much protected from the Alvans now. No mind hacks or limiters are going to get us. If any other survivors join us, it will limit the psychic limiters too.”

  A scream interrupted our conversation. We jumped into action simultaneously. Liam ran towards the kitchens and I followed. We didn’t need to go as far. Kitty stood in the dining area, clutching one of the tables as the floor around her shifted and reformed.

  “What the hell is going on?” she screamed.

  “It’s cool, Kitty,” Liam said. “It’s Matt doing mad shit.”

  So I told them about the upgrades. Liam was disappointed that I hadn’t picked the turrets. After killing Mama, he had invested in the technopathic elements of his power further. He believed he could have bent the turrets to his will and commanded them to focus down targets. However, as I explained how the Nurturing Field Generator worked, he changed his mind.

  Liam very much liked the idea of using the monsters the Alvans had set on us against them. Despite us having platyhawk eggs to use, he sent Recon out to scout for other creatures. He went as far as to suggest we consider investigating the forested sector. If we could find infant monsters or eggs from an area with a red threat level, our defenses would be near incomparable. Since the System’s laws kept the Alvans from attacking us directly, we’d be more or less in the clear.

  Kitty was more excited about the prospect of a floor dedicated to farming and growing. Having grown up on a farm in the Welsh countryside, she liked the idea of growing fresh fruit and vegetables. Kitty insisted that setting up a floor dedicated to creating a stable food source was of greater importance than turrets or any other defenses. Canned and dried goods wouldn’t last forever. The sooner we could grow our own food, the better. In fact, she believed it was vital if I intended to make allies and bring others into the Hub.

  So we explored the building from the top floor down, inspecting all the changes the Hub Core had made. I hadn’t gone up to the top floor yet, but I knew that the platyhawks had severely damaged it. Now we found clean carpets, and everything else was intact. It had a few offices, a conference room, and a large lab space. The Hub Core had removed almost all of the equipment except for a massive 3D printer, a few soldering irons, and power packs. I guessed the rest had taken too much damage for the Hub Core to keep around.

  It was Liam who noticed it, but there was a slight leathery feeling to parts of the wall and floor. We went down to the fourth floor and inspected the repaired damage to find much of the same. Some parts of it were harder than others.

  “Of course!” I exclaimed when the realization hit me. “The Hub Core is using biomass to fix the damage.”

  “It’s better than grotesque fleshy bits, but creepy nonetheless,” Kitty said.

  The fourth floor looked nothing like before. Liam claimed it was the lack of furniture, but I was sure it looked bigger than before. The dimensions didn’t make any sense. Had the System made some TARDIS-styled changes? Was the Menagerie bigger on the inside?

  We had a little scare when knee-high, gray-faced alien creatures scurried past our feet. I had to stop Winnie from attacking them when I realized they were the drones taking care of the Menagerie. The platyhawk eggs now sat in a corner under heat lamps, and machines plopped out cubes of processed meat that stank to high heaven. We guessed it was their feed.

  “Two days until hatching,” the largest of the drones told me. “Genius move placing us within the Nurturing Field. When are we getting more eggs and babies? We drones get antsy when there isn’t a lot of work to do.”

  “We’re working on it,” I managed to say. We were all a little shocked to hear the creature speak. They resembled the typical big-eyed, flying-saucer-riding aliens from cartoons. Since they were drones, I didn’t expect conversation or personality from them, and the little guy had delivered both. It would take some time before we got used to them.

  What we wanted to inspect the most was the third floor. I expected to find a giant machine in its center, but only found odd discs attached to the walls like fire alarms.


  “It’s not just me that feels refreshed, right?” Kitty asked.

  I shook my head. “I think this will serve perfectly as our living quarters. What do you think?”

  “You lot do what you want,” Liam said. “I’m calling dibs on the top floor. We’re going to find a few McGuffins and get that 3D printer running. Then I’m getting to work.”

  Kitty and Liam argued a while, both trying to decide what was of higher priority: Farming Drone or the printer. I stayed out of it and headed downstairs. Kitty had been preparing dinner when all the craziness started, and I was famished.

  We tried not to talk about it, but it would come out in conversation sometimes. Where were our families? Were they dead or alive? There was no way for us to know. Struggling to survive and always striving for the next goal had kept us sufficiently distracted. Now that we had an official home base where we could house others besides ourselves, relatives kept slipping into the conversation.

  I’d been the first to bring it up when I’d made the mistake of comparing Kitty’s chicken pot pie to my mother’s. I thought she’d get mad, but she laughed instead and told me about her grandmother’s iteration was the best and didn’t compare to anything I could’ve possibly ever tasted. Liam chimed in about his uncle, the fine-dining chef, but he shut up when we didn’t entertain his attempts at one-upping us.

  All three of us were careful to avoid topics along the lines of their location and status. If a once densely populated area like our current sector could have a threat level of orange, there was no telling what it would be like for them. In the stories, people would spend forever pining for their families or scouring the scorched landscape for them, but we had no way to tell where they were now. Besides, thinking about them hurt a bit too much. When we had asked Knurven about it, he’d failed to answer the question. Instead, he’d called the System’s terraforming cruel but fair.