by Pal, J
The basement was mostly empty, and I didn’t want people roaming down here, so I got Kitty’s permission through the commlink before asking Morpheus for help. Together we moved all the materials, my bench, and my chair to the floor. It took two trips in the elevator but didn’t take very long.
The golem helped me pile everything up in the corner. As we worked, I probed his mind using my technopathic abilities. Kitty’s core no longer protected Morpheus from me. That didn’t mean I’d mess with him of course. I just wanted to know how he was doing, perhaps even communicate. What I got was devotion. Morpheus worshipped Kitty and would happily do whatever she asked of him. So that was a load off. I wouldn’t have to worry about him leaving us. He didn’t mind my intrusion but rejected my attempts at communication.
Once I had settled everything into the basement, I had a good look at all the free space. Much like with the first floor, I had no idea what to do with the basement. Letting others down here wasn’t an option. Kitty and Liam could visit, of course, but it was still too early for the others.
Before spending the McGuffins, I took the time to sit at my desk and sketch out ideas. It had been a while since I’d dedicated any real time to it and I had needed to adjust to my new arm and hand. My understanding of the system had increased significantly, and there were things I wanted to try out. My power let me scan drawings and turned them into editable blueprints.
This had one major limitation. Concepts like dimensional storage and teleportation were much too hard to sketch. I had moral qualms regarding the latter and left it alone altogether. The physics behind teleportation carried too many questions. There was no way for me to know whether the transported object or entity was the same as the original or a newly made copy. I focused on dimensional storage instead.
It took several sketches and compiling multiple blueprints before my interface understood exactly what I wanted. Unfortunately, my efforts proved fruitless. Creating a micro dimension that would safely store my belongings and allow organized retrieval was impossible. However, creating a mini two-way portal wasn’t. I’d need something on the receiving end that could stash whatever I wanted to be stored. It would have to assist with sending it back too. The device would require three McGuffins and materials I had no hopes of finding, but now I knew for sure.
Once done, I moved onto a device for myself. My body would need support if I wanted to use my new weapon safely. Instead of giving the interface all the information, I asked my Technogogue power for help. What would work best with my current devices? Armor wasn’t the answer. If I didn’t find anything suitable, I’d pick it as an option, but it would make me bulky and slow. Speed and stealth were much too important to me.
The lab coat and Pogo Heelies spoke up. They both wanted upgrades. More specifically, they wanted me to give the lab coat an impact absorption mechanic around the injured arm and my two shoulders. Anything larger would interfere with camouflaging abilities. The Pogo Heelies would feed on the absorbed force to charge its stabilizer and jumping functions. Then the Grappling Belt demanded a role in the process too. It would like to tether me in place so any unabsorbed force didn’t knock me off my feet.
I was over the moon. My devices were proliferating and sentient! This was what it meant to be a Technogogue. I took care of my Creations, and in turn, they wanted to do the same for me. We were friends. After several minutes of toying around, I found a design I liked and gave the lab coat the necessary upgrade, linking it to my belt and through it the Pogo Heelies. Nothing changed cosmetically.
Now that I had an extra McGuffin, I made a new device for myself—the Stick n’ Save Gloop Shooter. Instead of a gun, it took the form of a retracting gauntlet. Biometal made the job quick and easy. In its inert form, the device could live hooked to my lab coat’s inner pocket. I ran a quick test by slipping my wrist into the finger-thick bangle and giving it a quick nudge. Biometal bled from it, covering my forearm within seconds.
I flexed my fingers first, testing each joint individually and altogether. There was no resistance. The device bulged at the wrist, providing extra protection, and also housed the two barrels: one for the save and the other for the gloop. All my other devices lit up with excitement. Someone new had joined their little party. The gauntlet went all the way up to my elbow. If anything did get past my barrier, it would help me block an attack before I unloaded the Sonic Shotgun in the attacker’s face. If that didn’t kill it, the gloop would disable them.
Feeling pretty good about myself, I started on a device for Caitlin. There was a list of items I wanted to make for her. The Void Rifle was at the top of the list. I almost started its creation but then changed my mind. Caitlin’s power pretty much turned her into a living McGuffin. She turned ordinary objects into something they weren’t, providing them with a deep well of energy and giving them incredible abilities. What if I made her a device that let her store whatever energy fueled the sockets?
I got drawing. It needed to be something that Caitlin could easily wear while plugging it into one of her sockets. That wasn’t the primary issue, though. I’d need to solve containment first. Much to my surprise, the answer lay in the king and queen platyhawk parts we had stored.
Ultra Shield Battery Belt
king platyhawk hide
plasma absorber
plasma charger
projector
Dragon Ball Z manga/disk
bubble bath
bath bomb
McGuffin
It came as a surprise that the interface wanted bubble bath soap and a classic cartoon for the Creation. Fortunately, due to our searches of the local houses, we had plenty in store. I suppose it made sense. The Dragon Balls were magical balls of power, and Spirit Bombs consumed a ton of energy. I couldn’t figure out how bubbles would store all that energy though. That’s what the McGuffin did. Since the project used materials similar to my barrier device, I threw the projector into the mix.
Once done, I made two more devices.
Void Rifle:
paintball gun
Relativity: The Special And General Theory
A Brief History of Time
rubber tubing
Mini-drone Launcher:
backpack
biometal gland
mini-drone constructor
mini-drone carrier
camera
microphone
transmitter
smartphone
bracelet
string
boomjuice gland
My interface refused to let me make the devices until I linked them to the belt. It worked very similar to how I had first constructed Liam’s drones. Neither device would function unless Caitlin slotted a faux McGuffin into the weapons. I’d upgrade them as soon as we had the means. The rifle would get an increase in power and the latter would improve drone AI. As long as Caitlin kept them plugged into her sockets and fed, they’d function just fine.
I couldn’t wait to demonstrate either device for her. The rifle would be a great improvement over her hairdryer. It would give her range, damage, and some degree of control. The Mini-drone Launcher would let her function as a grenadier and trap setter. I made a few final changes to the Mini-drone Launcher before locking in the Creation. Altogether, the devices drained over half of my energy pool, leaving me worn out. I didn’t mind though. Unlike Jay, Caitlin had no trouble going out into the field and fighting. She had embraced the new world and understood what needed to be done. It felt good investing in her.
I couldn’t tell what to upgrade for the base. What kind of improvement would serve us best? Internal or external? When browsing the interface, I found myself gravitating towards the bunker. Having an emergency room would go a long way.
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.
At the same time, if we continued to stre
ngthen our exterior, did we really need a bunker? If something did invade the Hub and we escaped into our hidey-hole, we’d turn into prisoners. They’d have access to an incredible source of food and a fair bit of security. Sure, I could shut down the Farm and Menagerie, but they’d still have run off the place and could set up traps for when we exited.
After a little browsing, I found a second upgrade that would help us out of such a scenario. It was drastic though.
Self-Destruct Button (Biomass): All the biomass outside of the bunker will come to life and swallow everything within the base. It won’t stop until the building and all its contents have dissolved, allowing the Hub’s owner to rebuild everything from the ground up. All upgrades to the Hub outside of the bunker floor will be lost.
No. it was way too drastic. I could foresee making this an eventual upgrade, but it wasn’t something I’d willingly invest in yet. We still had the System’s protection. The Alvans and other alien civilizations couldn’t attack us directly. Human and orange-threat-level foes still posed a threat, but we could deal with them. So I turned my attention to the external defenses.
Our list of options had grown once again. The core wasn’t just taking the Farm and Menagerie into account, but Liam’s 3D Printer too. After several minutes of scrolling, I narrowed it down to three options.
Entangling Brambles (Vines): What’s worse than brambles? Animated brambles. They grow rapidly, covering the Hub’s exterior surfaces, and attack all unwelcome visitors. Of course, your Hub won’t be the most attractive home for your residents, but they’ll sleep easy with this extra layer of defense. Due to their synergy with the Farm and biomass core, thorny vines will replace the brambles that can grow Balloon Pods and other plant-based securities.
Scurrying Chompers: Menagerie drones like to work, so give them something to do. Chompers live to do one thing: chomp. They’ll burrow into walls and camouflage their holes. If a hostile entity gets close, chompers can launch their little bodies like bullets and chomp until death. With a brambles and vines upgrade, they’ll have more places to hide and will make their nest among them instead of damaging the Hub. Vines will also give them a passive source of food and result in increased reproduction rates.
Living Turrets: Biometal and biomass mesh excellently well. The Hub will make the 3D Printer a permanent installation and allow the planting of plant turrets. They’ll fire biometal bullets laced with a choice of natural toxins, acids, and fungus.
The Entangling Brambles seemed like the best choice. Its synergy with tons of other upgrades made it extra desirable. I delved deeper into what it would provide, and the possibilities got me excited. It wasn’t just that plant-based upgrades would grow on them, but they’d reproduce naturally, populating the Hub’s exterior. It would just be the Balloon Pods at first, but eventually, we’d have enough to repel all attacking forces.
Creatures born in the Menagerie would instinctually be wary of the thorns and know to climb around them. I wondered whether we could train the ankylopus to draw attackers to the traps or eventual turrets. I was ready to lock in my decision when the world turned gray. I sighed. It had been a while since Knurven had come for a visit. Considering the timing, I guessed he was coming in to tell me how wrong I was.
The blue portal opened, and he exited it, followed by Delta. Much to my surprise, time didn’t stop, and the gray was only localized around us and the portal.
“What’s going on, lads?” I asked. “Did I do something wrong?”
“The opposite—you’ve been doing something right,” Knurven answered. “I’d go as far as too say a bit too right.”
“What does that even mean?”
“Your channel’s viewership has breached trillions. So you’re attracting unwanted attention.”
“The Alvans know what we’re up to?”
“Affirmative,” Delta said. “They’re questioning how you knew what you do and the Hub Core. They’ve filed injunctions to review all your footage since we bought the channel legally. However, my colleagues and I have managed to keep it all under wraps. I don’t know how long we’ll be able to keep it up, but for the time being you’re still in the clear.”
“Trillions, huh?” That was way more people than a single planet could house—or so I assumed. “When did that happen?”
“You’re the only one with a Hub; you’ve fashioned a prosthetic that rivals most technology out there; things are tense with your friends because of the risks you’re taking. Your channel has drama, excitement, and so much more.” Knurven’s single eye glowed as the speaker drone spoke for him. I guessed the light signified his excitement. “The Alvans know what you have but not what you intend to do with it. We’re going to try to keep things hidden from them until they figure it all out. They’re aware that the six of you aren’t under their limiter’s effects though. It has them worried and scared.”
“I’d urge you to get what you intend done sooner than later,” Delta added. “They suspect foul play and are questioning System Staff. If my superiors start an investigation, you can kiss my partnership goodbye.”
“I’m moving as fast as I can,” I told him. “We’re almost equipped well enough to combat the crushers.”
“I can’t say much without Delta censoring me, but they’re not the only defensive measure in place.”
“Can’t they ask the viewers for our plans? I’m sure there’s a loud-mouth out there—”
“You have no idea how much the universe loathes the Alvans,” Knurven said, cutting me off. “Someone will leak the information sooner or later, but we’re okay for now. My spies tell me the Alvans are looking into sponsoring groups in neighboring sectors. They’re bound by the system’s rules too and can’t send them extravagant gifts. It’ll take a talented Technopath or Technogogue to create another Hub or weapons that can rival it. Everyone’s watching to ensure there will be no foul play. It could cost them dearly, but if the bastards discover what you’re trying to do, they might panic and do something big.”
“What do you think they could do?”
“We have no way of knowing. Our analysts think their best bet is them leaking the power-rank upgrade process and then sending people after you. Considering the war going on in your old sector and the low population in the others around you, I think you’re okay. For now at least.”
“Well, thanks for keeping me posted. I’m glad the ratings are good and all, but why does your timing suggest there is more to this visit?”
“One of your avid fans has sent you a gift,” Delta said. A cube floated out of the still-open portal and into my hands. It opened on contact with my skin, revealing a coin and crystal shard housing tiny emerald petals. “It’s a fossil and an information packet. The information is sparse, since the Alvans always screen data coming through, so we managed to get it through as bric-a-brac and a silly message. Viewers often send such gifts to their favorite players. More than often it’s a joke or something to confuse them, so they fell for it. I can’t tell you much about it, but we hope you can figure it out.”
“Viewers love where you’re taking the base, by the way,” Knurven told me. “People have been theorycrafting what you can do by combining your three key floors. Calling the possibilities endless is an understatement.”
“What kind of combinations?”
“Well, you’re not too far from self-sufficiency—”
“That’s enough,” Delta interrupted. “It’s much too risky without a Chrono freeze. If the satellite feeds pick up the portal’s interference, we’re done for.”
Knurven froze just before entering the portal. “You should work on your marksmanship. The viewers are getting unhappy about how often you miss your shots. They understand you’re a civilian and not an athlete, but they’re still getting frustrated.”
“Before you go, tell me one last thing! The Alvan surveillance, does it cover telepathy? Can viewers read telepathic conversations?”
Knurven didn’t answer my question. His giant eye glowed for
a moment, and I was sure it was amusement I sensed. Then the pair were gone, leaving me with more questions than before.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cosmic Intervention
The portal consumed the grayness before closing, making my life so much harder. I had made my decision before. Even though neither Delta nor Knurven had said anything outright, I knew the latter was trying to guide my choice of upgrade. Unfortunately, Delta hadn’t let him finish his thought, so I’d have to figure things out for myself.
What was so important that they had interrupted me just then? I refused to accept that it was a coincidence.
I lifted the coin out of the container. Its resemblance to a British pound threw me off. Who was the mysterious benefactor? Did its appearance carry any significance? My technopathic senses detected there was more to the metal disc than met the eye. It was a given, but when I couldn’t find a trigger for the remote device, I dug in deeper.
I like the way you move it, especially when you break wind and make water.
“What the fuck?” I swore out loud. This wasn’t a cryptic riddle or puzzle but a troll message. There had to be more to it, right? I activated the coin again but got the same answer. I sighed and dropped it back in the box, turning my attention to the crystal. I’d never seen such material before. It was as hard as a diamond but even clearer. I scanned it with the goggles.
Moondrip Amber
True stasis is nearly impossible to achieve. The energy requirements to maintain the status demands several McGuffins, and even then it doesn’t last forever. That’s unless you preserve the object in Moondrip resin. Often mistaken for Aurin Zirconium, Moondrip amber’s authenticity is often questionable but if you find some, hold onto it for as long as you can.