Chapter 13
* * *
"Good morning! It's Thursday, November 14, at seven o'clock in the morning. Time to get up! And don't expect me to shut up, you programmed me yourself! So in a few minutes, this message will be repeated much, much louder!"
Mm... Why did I buy an alarm clock with a motion sensor? Now it would be like when I was a kid - to bang the button and sleep for another twenty minutes.
Wake up!
Without opening my eyes, I groped my way to the bathroom.
Thursday. Morning. As soon as I get to work, I have to call the second terminal right away: what about their shipment? And Frolych - let him finally give me a summary of the data. He will not immediately give, but if I kick, I'll get to the evening. And Ninotchka said something about...
I snorted, dipping my face into the icy water, and finally woke up. A suspiciously unshaven face with red eyes looked out of the mirror.
Hello, unemployed!
I completed the process of my morning ablutions, suppressing lingering bewilderment. How could I not go to work? Not to quarrel with the warehouse workers, who delayed an urgent order for three days, not to make excuses to the chief for my sins, not to smile at the girls from the counting room, not to joke with the men in the gym.
On the one hand, of course, it's not bad. On the other hand... I had never taken more than a week's leave since the army, and here I was suddenly my own boss.
With the third, I found something to do, didn't I? That's good. By the way, there's something else I need to clarify.
I habitually threw the bacon on the griddle to warm up, poured the eggs from the bottle, and flicked the toaster button. With difficulty I turned away from the ironing board - I wouldn't need my shirt today. Then I thought about it and put it away anyway - I might have to go out to the store, and I have an unironed shirt under my jacket! A mess - it starts with the little things!
Over a meal, I hastily mulled over today's business of making a sword scabbard, and first, to see if it could even be done, how would the game react if I hung the sword on my belt? Plus I need to set a couple of voice commands. And by the way, figure out what it would look like in the virtual to perform a new blow: in the third person, you just have to press the button, right? Plus buy some extra reagents, because yesterday there were simply no scrolls left. Spent the last on the two-headed, and if not enough? Leave the dungeon? Oh, and by the way, I should try - can I draw while Companion is fighting? Rank six is great, but why can't I pump more?
That's it, dishes in the sink, shirt ironed, the list made.
"Comp, search. The words "creators of destiny," "manipulators," "sword," and "scabbard".
Instructions on how to make a sheath were on the third link, and on the second link, the specifics of setting up the interface in the game. Useful; was able to learn how to "manifest" armor and weapons in one word. So, all the necessary things are there, the sheath I will make from the packaging from the manipulator plus thick polyethylene. Ten minutes of fiddling.
"Comp, link - "Questions and Answers". Make a query. Subject - "Creators of Destiny". Subtheme - using modules. Question - seeking advice on the peculiarities of using modules. Condition - personal experience, site certificate. Condition - video contact. Price - five dollars. Additionally - possible bonus. Request made, send."
On Q&A you can find information about everything in the world. Not always what you need, but that's where you need to be, because a properly worded application can only help someone who knows what they're looking for.
The jingle bell sounded to indicate that a consultant had been found.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
"Comp, respond."
"Hello!" The monitor showed the room of a normal kid about fifteen years old. And, in fact, the kid himself, a part-time counselor.
"Hi. Quick question: aren't you a little young for Creators of Destiny?"
The short-haired kid grinned: "Twenty-seven, who greeted me with that phrase. Yes, I'm only fourteen. Yes, I'm playing Creators. Yes, my parents know and agree. The reason?" He put his hands down and spun...the wheels of his wheelchair. Pulled away a little, then back into the focus of the lens.
"And the modules?" I was wondering.
"Allow me to introduce myself, Drow Elessal, master marksman at level one hundred and twenty-seven, a veteran of two wars, class leader of the Votaku Rangers Guild for the past six months," he held out his hand and swung the camera sideways. On a stand beside the table was a gauntlet, wide loupe-eye glasses, and a bow module. "You can see the footage of my fights, here's the link..." The data feed blinked.
"Thank you, I'll be sure to check it out. Transfer."
"There's a transfer." The kid snapped his fingers happily. "You're my first customer today, so five minutes to the basic ten. I'm listening to you."
Such a good boy!
"I started playing "CoDs" yesterday and after a few battles in the virt, I decided to take a little rest at the keyboard..."
"And almost died?" The consultant smiled.
"Yes. A common thing?"
He nodded: "More than that. The game considers everything differently, a completely different approach, and you have to take this into account. Monsters in the virtual move faster, but you are not limited to anything except your reaction. Here's my article on settings, and here's a link to a private forum, you'll have access to this topic for 24 hours. Check it out: it's a standard set of tips for newcomers to our guild. What modules do you use?"
"Virt, combat "sword-shield" modules, gauntlet, treadmill, tablet, microphone."
The guy whistled.
"Excuse me, you said you were just getting started, right?" I nodded affirmatively. "We're a pretty high-ranking guild, but only a dozen people out of three hundred have that kind of kit. And everyone's only started using full assembly around level two hundred. Before that, a manipulator and a microphone were enough, and even the "froggies" changed their style of play. So you had to retrain." He took the glasses and twirled them in his hands.
"So I won't have to retrain." I smiled. "Any advice on the subject of modules?"
He tapped silently on the keyboard and something arrived for me again.
"Here is my compilation of links to all the worthwhile resources on the subject. If there's anything you don't understand, send me an e-mail, and I'll answer it. It's free, as part of a promotion to attract clients." He winked. "Here's my settings sheet with comments. True, they're for the archer, but the swordsman will also be useful, see highlighted in blue. Did you start as a multi-fighter?"
"Archetype, Paladin."
My interlocutor nodded respectfully: "Oh, that makes sense. To pump a pal without a bonus is a pain in the ass. Yes, even with the bonus ... Here's a link to the closed thread, we were preparing to pump a guild paladin. In the second war, we needed a light aura urgently. Spent a month, and now it's a strict guild char, no one wants to play it. Want some free advice?"
"If it's about changing class, don't bother, it's a done deal. I'd rather just quickly list what I should remember when playing in a group with players without modules."
"It's simple. First, you move differently. Where the comp will calculate everything for the player, you need to keep track of the distance to the monster, and most importantly - to the allies! Your defense count differently, so always stand either at the edge of the tank formation or even on the side. Second - you have different distances and different angles of view, they will better see the overall picture."
"I put a third-person virtual screen."
"Makes sense, I have one just like it. Watch the length of the weapon! Add the following to the settings..."
I listened, put it on the record, and noted particularly important points separately. The guy really was a knowledgeable player, and most importantly, an experienced one. The trick with the macro for removing the weapon in combat, allowed me to increase the jump distance - the weight of the weapon was subtracted for that second from the player's weight. And he had at least a dozen such little tricks.
The timer beeped.
"That's in a nutshell. The main points - tracking the distance in combat and the settings on the sheet that I sent you. Is that the end of the question?"
"Yes, absolutely! The bonus is a ten." The guy snapped his fingers and drummed something contentedly on the armrests of his chair. "The review is the best. Mind if I put you on my personal mentor list?"
"I don't mind at all, thank you! I'm putting you on my favorite list!"
Now my questions about the game will first be checked to see if he's online, and his rating on the answer list will go up. That's good, he's a clever guy.
"Can I ask you a personal question?"
He grinned again: "About the wheelchair?"
I nodded, waiting curiously for an answer.
"Skate, I jumped unluckily, got my foot caught, and came with my back on a rock. Now on shunts, turn to be chipped in a year and a half. I'll have to sit for a while. But I'll pump up my arms! I read that Ilya Muromets started the same way!"
He laughed, and I couldn't help but smile: "Thanks for the tips, good luck!"
"And you!"
The chat window disappeared.
"Comp, list of links sent. Priority is given to the Votaku guild forum."
Let's see what's interesting here...
* * *