Flora hopped through the Cetviwos to complete her daily quests.
The Library-Container worked without a hitch in the Seven Masters Dojo, though the omnipresent Coach Clowdy gave it a raised eyebrow.
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When Flora came back, she emptied the Hungry Chest into a regular container. She didn't want to feed her bounty to the Riverstones printer because, in the evening, she would own one. That left her with one container filled with gear, the m-routes and plasma sword parts, two bursting with materials, one empty, and the hungry chest.
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After a refreshing nap in the jacuzzi, she did a quick internet search about all the causes a Death Star had exploded in the Star Wars Movies. The first Death Star exploded because of a missile to the engine through a heat exhaust.
Flora remembered that Jake mentioned problems with the heat management of the engine. Therefore this reason went to the top of her things-to-investigate list.
Prep before start
* Load baby pictures of Robby
Todo During
* Blue Elephant scene: Get a job in the engine department
* Party scene: Stop Jake from getting drunk
* Attack scene: Find out where Jake works
* Oh shit scene: Find out why the Doom Moon explodes
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"Open the hangars. Here, the H-Fighter comes!" Jake coaxed his daughter by waving a spoon filled with mash.
"The Doom Moon sounds just lovely, Jake. I would be delighted to join you!" Flora exclaimed.
"Haha, I knew I could count on you!"
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"I'm the forewoman of your shift, Elma Phen. Touch this crystal, dear."
Permission to transmit following stats to Elma Phen:
Magical regeneration: 26 OV
Mechanics: 25 OV
Electronics: 23 OV
Smithing: 0 OV
'Granted.'
"Nice stats. Have you worked on turrets before?"
"Yes, but I would like to work on the engines."
"Fat chance, Lady. When you do a good job on the turrets, I might advance you, but you are far away from qualifying for the engines."
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Quest: Repair Turret S24R91N85 on the Doom Moon
Rewards: Bonus crafting XP, Advancement
Penalty: Degradation
Difficulty: C
After running the diagnosis software, she joined Clyde and Handy with the repair.
Carefully she looked around for human witnesses, found none, and started to let the parts fly.
"Wow! Auntie, are you an Energymaster?" Clyde asked.
"Yes, but a very low-level one, just enough to know some tricks. No need to publicize it, right dears?"
"Well, as long as no-one with a higher clearance asks, I won't tell. Except, if someone offers me S-rated lube oil, but that goes without saying."
Flora rolled her eyes smiling, but continued working.
Quest completed: Repair Turret S24R91N85 on the Doom Moon
Rewards: Bonus crafting XP, Advancement to Shields
Difficulty: C
Completion: S
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Quest: Repair Shield-Generator S24R38 on the Doom Moon
Rewards: Bonus crafting XP
Penalty: Degradation
Difficulty: B
While the datapad ran the diagnosis, Flora browsed the manual for the shield-generator.
"I know a lot more about engines than magnetic fields! Or force fields or whatever this machine generates. I hope you two are up to the task."
Fortunately, Flora didn't have to know what a machine did to repair it, just to be good at it.
In this case, something leaked, so the crew replaced it with a piece that didn't leak.
After the final diagnosis, Flora discovered that the pressure was still slightly outside the norm.
They had to test each part until they found a tube that seemed to be older than the whole moon. The datapad said it worked, but when Flora replaced it, the pressure normalized.
Quest completed: Repair Shield-Generator S24R38 on the Doom Moon
Rewards: Bonus crafting XP
Difficulty: B
Completion: S
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Quest: Replace Shield-Generator S24R1 on the Doom Moon
Rewards: Bonus crafting XP
Penalty: Degradation
Difficulty: B
Flowing Flowers to Aidan: "The first time we got only two crafting quests before the party, right?"
"Yes, Milady! I believe it is dependent on the time needed. We shaved off a lot of time with a shorter dinner scene and not taking apart the bots after recruitment."
"Remind me to analyze the times before the next scenario."
The replacement of the generator worked well, and the diagnosis at the end showed no issues, but Flora discovered the same type of ancient cable in the new generator.
While there was the wisdom "Never change a running system.", there was also the saying: "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me." Flora replaced it with a newer tube.
Quest: Replace Shield-Generator S24R1 on the Doom Moon
Rewards: Bonus crafting XP
Difficulty: B
Completion: S
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Quest: Survive a Birthday Party on the Doom Moon
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Reward: not fixed
Penalty: Scenario stops
Time Limit: 1h 16 min.
Difficulty: B
Aidan to Flora's HUD: "Party scene: Stop Jake from getting drunk."
In search of Jake, Flora started to mingle.
"Hey, Flowers! Good job on the generators!" Elma slapped her on the back. Flora's real body would have crumbled, but she managed to balance her virtual body.
"Thanks! So what do I need to work on the engines?"
"Haha, I like you! Not only a good tech but strong, too!" Elma swang her trunk enthusiastically. "I'm a bit old fashioned and believe you need at least a rudimentary understanding of smithing to work on engines."
"Smithing?" Flora envisioned the engine as a glowing energy gizmo and couldn't connect it to something she associated with horseshoes.
"Yeah, if it doesn't start, you have to hit it on the right spot!"
Flora laughed. "Well, I heard of this repair tactic before!" And she did, Oldtimer enthusiasts told her about it. Who would have thought that 20th-century car motors and sci-fi engines had that in common?
Finally, Flora spotted Jake. He already had a glass in hand and was in the progress of toasting.
Flora strode over and snatched the glass from him.
"Auntie!"
"To the birthday girl! Cheers!" Flora exed the beverage.
"Auntie!"
The other technicians cheered. A second glass found its way into Jake's hand. Flora snatched it again and pulled Jake away.
"I need you sober!"
"What's up, Auntie?"
"That's my question to ask! I noticed you slinking around. What are you up to?"
Jake made distressed noises and lead Flora towards a quiet corner of the room.
"I discovered something! I don't even know how to describe it, Auntie! It's horrible." He tore at his hair. "I got the cutest video of Hope today, and I want her to grow up happy and safe!"
Flora nodded.
"But how can she if there are only two ways and one is shit, and now I think the other is shit as well, you know?"
Flora nodded again. She was only able to make sense of Jake's ramblings because of the other scenarios, but she understood.
"Hope has the gift. The Icemasters are cold, and the Energymasters are volatile."
"*Bleep*! *Bleep*! Are you a psychic?"
"No, I'm a low-level Energymaster."
"You never told me!"
"And you never told me that you have the gift, too! I believe we are even."
"What? I don't have access to the Energy."
"The probabilities of that are really low, dear. Did you do a test? Are there tests?"
Jake fidgeted. Flora could see that he wanted to say something but wasn't allowed or couldn't commit.
"It's okay not to tell me about Elena's and your situation. I won't pry."
"*Bleep*! You know about that, too?"
"I know nothing. All I know is that I have an awful feeling about today. Something ominous lies in the air!" Flora wasn't good at bullshitting but tried her best.
"Stay sober. If the shit hits the fan, call me, and we'll build a parasol!"
"Why a parasol?"
"When the shit gets fanned all over the place, we duck behind it!"
Jake scratched his head.
"Whatever, auntie. But it kind of comforts me to know that you are an Energymaster. My trust in them waned after my discovery. But you are alright!"
"Thanks for your confidence. But I taught myself, so I know nothing about the indoctrination of the regular path."
"You could teach Hope!"
"I'm old. Who knows if I even can hold a plasma sword, when Hope reaches the required age for learning.
"Then teach me, and I teach Hope! Maybe the Icemasters *bleep*ed up when they tested me!"
"Alright, we try it. Let's find a quiet room."
"I know a great place to train!"
The great place turned out to be the head shrine of Lady Mnoder.
Anytime, Flora expected a debuff to appear on her HUD: "Eyesocket Instability. Stop rolling your eyes, or you will lose them!"
At least, they made good time after Flora got through with her argument, that they would be a lot less suspect if Jake stopped walking on the tips of his toes.
Time Limit: 51 min.
Flora shuddered when they entered the room. Even after inhuming all the heads in the first Doom Moon attempt, they still gave her the creeps.
"We are in the trophy room of Lady Mnoder. The heads and plasma swords belong to the enemies of the empire she had slain. She recorded all of her experiences." He pointed at the statues.
Flora nodded. She knew the mannequin-routines too well.
"Auntie Flow, do you think we are the good guys? Lady Mnoder is one of the most respected generals of the empire, and she sure as hell doesn't behave like it." Jake's big blue eyes shone with seriousness.
"All I know is that everyone should try to be a decent being. But it's not always easy."
Flora to Aidan: "Warn me 1 minute before Lady Mnoder appeared the last time."
"I'm sorry, Milady. I don't comprehend your sentence."
"I'm working under the assumption that her appearance is a fixed event and related to the quest-timer. Last time she appeared when the timer nearly ran out. Do you know the exact time, she made her entrance?"
"Yes, Milady! I will notify you."
Meanwhile, Jake had pressed a panel on the wall, and a hidden door opened. He waved her in.
The atmosphere in the room hit Flora, like leaving an air-conditioned building in the desert. The air was crackling, and strange currents battered her body. Flora had to stop for a moment to regain her balance.
Energy-Storm: -7 OV micro-control. - 7 OV macro-control. - 10 OV use of metallic appliance. - 15 hp/minute lightning damage. - 14 hp/minute kinetic damage.
Flora stared at the debuff on her HUD.
"That's great!" she exclaimed.
"Urg, you really are an Energymaster!" Jake had his hands on his knees and was breathing hard. "Can you teach me here?"
Flora chuckled. "I like your attitude! You can't even stand upright, but you want to learn. Go back to the statues and watch 5 times the one that looks like a monkey scratching its butt. Concentrate on the feeling Mnoder has when blasting her opponent." Flora didn't have the time to conceal her knowledge.
"How do you know?"
Flora attempted to look as mysterious as possible and waved him away.
While Jake went into the other room, Flora tried to locate the source of the Energy-Storm.
The room was bare with only a round platform big enough for her to stand on in the middle. It had no windows. The only illumination came from the dark red glowing ceiling and now and then tiny lightning bolts flitting through the air.
Flora found it hard to spot any appliances on the dark walls. Therefore she walked near them to look for any kind of mechanism.
Soon, she found an unmarked switch.
'Odd press, even leave.'
"Aidan, give me a random number between 1 and 100."
"61, Milady."
Flora's finger shook, but she flicked the switch.
The rumbling of motors hit her ears, and the wall rose. Behind it, a curved panorama window showed the surface of the moon. Beneath it were controls similar to the H-Wing.
"This is a spaceship!"
This time Flora was smarter with her data security and first loaded Aidan and her firewall on her datapad. Then she tried to get access to the controls the proper way.
"Access denied. Insufficient clearance."
"Do you think we can hack it, Aidan?"
Aidan showed her where to find the tiny badge on the lock-pick.
Name: Rising Star - Flat 5432 - Controller
Class: Security System
Level: 25.
Rating: A.
RGS: 2.
"Yes, Milady. But the probability of getting noticed is high."
"Okay, we refrain at the moment."
The effects of the Energy-Storm didn't reach to the cockpit, so Flora let down the walls again and continued her search.
Her intuition told her to look at the platform next. Sure enough, the effects of the storm were stronger at the center of the room.
After examining it, she noticed that you could keel over the platform. Underneath it, Flora found an engine. It looked a lot like the shield generators but glowed.
Flora opened the casing and inspected the machine, mumbling to Aidan the similarities and differences to the standard shield generator. She even recorded her investigation.
"What are you doing, Auntie?" Jake arrived.
"Industry espionage. This is the generator for the Energy-Storm."
Jake laughed and stumbled over.
"Do you want to take a look or training?"
He chose training, and Flora fetched Aidan's console and the Stehaufmaennchen.
The Stehaufmaenchen slid across the floor.
"That's a spell similar to the Kinetic Blast you watched. I'm most familiar with this skill, so we start with it."
Flora described the feeling of the spell and the intend while casting it. Furthermore, she ordered Aidan to show a hologram of its diagram.
The hologram was flickering and grainy because of the Energy-Storm, but Jake was a technician. It helped him looking at charts.
"Gather some energy and push!"
"Push!"
The tumbler was swaying because of the Energy-Storm, so Flora couldn't judge if the spell hit, but she thought she felt something.
"Great first try! Go closer and repeat it!"
"Push!" Jake shouted.
This time the tumbler clearly moved a few centimeters backward.
You gained the ability: Teaching.
Achievement: The benefits of teaching (repeatable): You taught Magical Push: + 1 Level to Magical Push.
"Congratulation! You got it!"
Jake stared dumbly at the tumbler and then at his hands.
Meanwhile, Flora checked the timer; only 10 minutes were left.
"Let's leave. I've got one of these feelings again."
"But, but, but ..." Jake stammered. "I can use the Energy!"
"I know, dear, and I'm happy for you. But please, believe me, we have to go."
Flora saw Jake's eyeballs rolling up, and then he crumbled. Before she realized what was happening, she was moving and caught him.
"Burned Toast!"
After fetching a health potion, Flora fed it to him. He spluttered and coughed most of it up, but at least he regained consciousness.
"One minute until the estimated time of arrival, Milady."
Flora joined Jake's groaning.
Grunting, she hosted him over her shoulder and left the chamber. Her eyes darted to the elevator, calculating the time it would need to take them down. She decided against it and went to the back of the room. Her old spot was on the way to the energy-storm chamber, so she chose the other side this time.
"Jake, can you hear me? Drink this potion. It will help you!"
Now, Jake managed to keep it down, and color returned to his face.
Mumbling, he tried to sit up.
"The elevator is moving. Someone is coming. Please stay quiet."
Knowing that Jake possessed the worst timing possible, she took his hand and pushed it against the m-route. Then, she duct-taped it to the stature.
The elevator doors opened, and Flora got a Deja Vu.