POV MC
Waking up in the woods when you fell asleep in a bed is concerning. Waking up in a snowstorm is even worse. Waking up with large portions of you memories missing is terrible. When you wake up to all of the above it is horrifying. Just as I come to I hear a voice in my head.
Initializing system…. 100%
Welcome user to the Tech Embodiment System.
Would you like to receive your welcome pack?
“What the hell?” I say to no one in particular. System detects that the user's confusion is not conducive to survival under current circumstances. Administering one time use of introductory information to users knowledge base.
I then receive the most heart wrenching pain I have ever felt blossom from my brain. After sitting in the snow for a few minutes waiting for the pain to fade, I feel new memories being inserted into my mind. “Status”
Name: N/A
Gender: Female
Age: 26
Status: hypothermic
Stats
(Stats based on 0 being a newborn, 5 being average unaltered human and 10 being peak unaltered human)
Physical OA: 5 (Your an Average Joe)
Strength: 5
Dexterity: 5
Endurance:5
Intelligence OA: 6.6~ (‘You built this droid all by yourself?!’)
Intellect: 8
Wisdom: 7
Mind: 5
Miscellaneous OA: 5.6~ (Things are lookin up kid)
Charisma: 6
Luck: 6
Intuition: 5
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Skills
N/A
Inventory
1 - System Welcome Pack
End
‘Open System Welcome Pack’ I thought
Opening System Welcome Pack
1x - UNSC HQ Drop Kit* - everything you would need for a planetary invasion
3x - Robotic Unit raffle - Gain a random robotic companion
2x - Robotic Blueprint raffle - gain a random blueprint for a robot or related components
2x - Firearm Blueprint raffle
5x - Skill raffle - gain a random skill
1x - Bulk Equipment raffle - get 20 Units of random equipment
1x - Vehicle raffle - get one random vehicle
‘System what is a UNSC HQ Drop kit?
The UNSC HQ Drop Kit is used after initial planet fall to rapidly create a base of operations with everything you would need to maintain an expanded campaign. This includes an operations center, barracks, engineering bay, armory and solar power supply. Buildings are optically camouflaged and modular with expandability in mind. Initial package is suitable for up to 50 individuals. It is 30 by 25 by 10 meters and comes equipped with all tools needed for creation and maintenance of parts for anything from weapons to vehicles
‘Ok so how do I use it? Does it come with a manual or do I have to figure things out for myself.’
The Drop kit is materialized wherever the user wishes. The operations center contains a 5th gen smart A.I that can deploy and organize the base. User just has to think of where to deploy the base and the system will do the rest. User need not worry about the smart A.I, as inherent issues have been fix via the system.
I look around, and decide that the clearing to my left is the best I would get given the current circumstances. As I think of deploying the Drop Kit a large metallic rectangle appears in the middle of the clearing. As I approach it and observe it, there is a large red button about chest height with bold letters stating ‘Press to deploy’. About as marine proof as you could get I guess. I press the button and hear a hiss of hydraulics as the once solid rectangle begins to separate into four relatively smaller but still large pieces and spread out to form an enclosed square yard with the buildings situated in the corners. As the cubes move to a healthy distance from each other they begin to morph into differently shaped buildings.
As they finish you can tell what one is which. The barracks is shaped like an L, is two stories tall and is a relatively plain metal structure with solar panels on the top. The engineering bay is a one story tall rectangle with two large garage doors and again solar panels on top. The armory is a slightly beefier one story square with what appear to be four automated 50. Cal turrets scanning the area situated on the corners. The operations center is as sturdy looking as the armory with a satellite dish on the roof and another 50. Cal guarding the entrance. I decide to head to the operations center and find out what the hell happened to me.
As I get to the door I see a spherical camera and a speaker at the top. “Verifying user identity. Please wait.” A speaker states. “Welcome commander, please enter.” The sliding door opens. I walk in and see a relatively large open space with two small but separate rooms in the back. In the center of the room is a large hip height table with a screen as a table top. Along the walls are numerous stations with screens displaying assorted information. Just when I’m about to check one of the rooms a hologram is projected above the table. It shows an Asian woman in a kimono. “Welcome to the operations center commander. I am Kumo. How may I be of assistance?” I walk to the table and take one of the seats by it. “Thank you Kumo, first of all I would like to know where we are.”
“Certainly commander, but I have been advised by the system to inform you of its purpose.” “Go on then.” “ The system brought you from limbo and granted you a new life. Its purpose is to help the user become a hegemon in technology. It grants the user access to a multiverse of information and products to help with that. It uses a currency it calls points which are gained through certain acts or missions to redeem said information and products.”
“You say this system brought me back from limbo, is this why I have large holes in my memory? I remember some things like the mechanical and electrical engineering I studied in college and after, things related to technology in fiction or nonfiction, even some comics and movies, but I can’t recall who I was or anything pertaining to it.” “Correct. The system had to remove anything it deemed non-essential to save its limited energy in order to bring you to be.” *sigh* “ Well, let’s figure our situation out, shall we?”
Author’s note
*Although not explicitly mentioned in the literature, it is entirely plausible that such an item exists given the setting. This is me taking creative liberties. If there is an item like this, it will be marked with an asterisk with a short explanation in the author’s notes