“So, SAMS, tell me, what is the first thing I need to do to get this thing working?” I say, looking at the Constructor.
[The first step is to select a design of an object or a creature you want to create and purchase its license.
The Constructor will only create objects or creatures that come with a proper license.]
“Okay, I see how it is. You guys finally found a way to get rid of piracy. Or, am I stuck with a model that does everything by the book?"
[I do not know what you refer to, but I assure you if you try to make the Constructor build items you do not have a license for, it will not work properly and may earn you penalties that ultimately may cause you to lose the rights to operate this dungeon.]
"Damn, no need to try and scare me. Aren't we on the same side? I was not going to try anything funny anyway. Just trying to figure this thing out. But, it is so freakin' weird. You can create monsters that kill people, but, yeah, pay them money for the license first. What a twisted universe we live in. And I thought aliens might be better than us humans. Heck no! You're way worse. You practically found a way to franchised murder and carnage, and made a business out of it."
Yeah, that has shut SAMS up really good. Still, they are not telling me which model I will build and how to run it. That's on me. And, I want... something civilized. If for no other reason then just to spite them.
So, I say, "SAMS, I want something that will not scare the shit out of me, but at the same time, something that can listen to me and obey my commands. Are there any options like that? Something that can function without a soul since I do not have funds to purchase one anyway. Maybe something humanoid?”
[Your Coin Balance is projected to be Insufficient]
"What?"
[No humanoid designs can be found for under 50,000 coins.]
I knew it. Didn't I say it? Cheap bastard! 'I gave you 10 thousand coins and you should bend over and kiss my ass whenever you want to, and remain grateful to me for the rest of your life.'
“Shit. So what are my options here?”
Stream of options flood my vision, each popping in a cloud-like 3D image. Bugs and snakes and rodents. They cannot help me. Besides, some of them scare the pants out of me.
[Please be more specific as it would take over five hundred hours to list all the options.]
“Okay, fair enough. I need something that can move dirt. Rocks. That can patch this hole. Fix this dungeon. What are my options for creatures that can do that? And can do it fast. Can’t use ants. Maybe gigantic spiders. I do not know.”
[Gigantic spiders are very popular currently. The advanced models go for over 12,000 coins.]
“So, then, give me some other options that you think I could afford. One at a time, please.”
SAMS starts to display some creatures. Some look so horrific I could not sleep well inside this place knowing they are free to roam around, treating my home as their own.
But then, there are other models. And I keep searching. Till I ran into something that can be best described as a cross between a small chimpanzee and an Ewok. I kid you not.
“So, then, let’s see what kind of life form we can create with ten units of energy. Can you list available options for this model, SAMS?”
[Model: Xerzian Monkey-Serian
Number: 23434VEl
Single Use License: 12,000 coins
Multi-Use License (up to 5 units): 30,000 coins
Multi-Use License (up to 1,000 units): 1,000,000 coins
Unlimited Use License: 5,000,000 coins
Master License: 50,000,000 coins]
“Everything is clear, expensive but clear. I guess Master License allows me to sell the design to others?”
[Yes. You have the complete rights to the design and you can set your own price to sell it to other clients.]
“That’s interesting. If only I had 50 million coins. Who am I kidding? Even a single use is expensive.”
[The Master Licenser is offering a 3,000 coins discount if you choose to have a script for one that is not yet fully developed, a youngling that is, model 23432-Young]
“A try-out model, huh? Not bad. How long till it matures?”
[Two Hundred Days.]
“That’s not bad. Would I need to change diapers?”
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[Negative.
The Youngling will come fully operational, able to walk and complete tasks. It will not be a baby.]
“Good, ‘cause I don’t think I can handle a baby now. But, how strong is it going to be? I mean, there is some heavy work we’ll have to do.”
[Its Estimated Initial Strength is Mark 20]
“That means nothing to me. So, that means he could bench press how much?”
[280 pounds]
“That’s good enough for me. Get him. And let us watch him grow and get stronger.”
That sounds like a very good option. But I bet there is a catch somewhere.
“Okay, so, once this machine makes him, then what? He just comes out of his cocoon and listens to me?”
[You need to put an operating system into him. That will help you control him.]
“And the basic operating system is how much?”
[For this model, it is 1,000 coins.]
“So, I guess we have a solution then. Let’s do it.”
[Your projected Coin Balance after two of these transactions will be 0 coins.
Are you certain you want to proceed?]
“Yeah, we need to fix this place up. So, let’s select that model. Let’s do it.”
[Order Accepted]
“Now what? What do I do next?”
[Waiting to obtain the license…]
Only a few seconds pass and the message is back.
[The License has been successfully obtained]
The License flashes in front of me in the way of a scroll, similar to the message I got from the Baron. I unroll it to see the 3D image of a little creature together with its specifications.
There are a few things that draw my attention.
First are some numbers
[ Survival Instinct: Mark 30
Killer Instinct: Mark 25
Loyalty: Mark 90
Nurturing: Mark 70
Creativity: Mark 50
Emotions: Mark 70]
Please note that those are averages taken from the sample of million+ units. Actual numbers in any individual might vary greatly from these averages]
Those numbers mean little to me since I can’t compare those numbers to my own, or humans in general. But I can still see how they are not engineered to be killers, how their loyalty seems exceptionally high, and how they are capable of even creative thoughts. That’s good enough for me.
The only thing worrying me is that ‘note’ that tells me my unit might be very different from the averages. Why then bother giving me the numbers if the one I will have will be so different? I do not know.
There is also a long description that I chose to check out.
One part draws my attention more than others. It says
[Not cannibalistic in nature although they are known to wage wars between different tribes when the resources in their environment appear to be limited and constraining.]
Very human-like there. But I guess, it will be easy for me to relate to it then.
[Xerzian Monkey-Serian are very protective of their homes and can become very ferocious if their home is attacked...
Xerzian Monkey-Serian have two genders and are capable of mating between the ages of 1 to 10 years. They are known to stay with the same mate for the rest of their lives...]
Not human like that there at all. I look further into their procreation and find they usually have two babies and that their pregnancies last between 25 and 30 standard weeks.
Cool. So, basically, I can get one of each gender and breed them and in a matter of mere years, I can have a whole tribe of them, build a whole civilization with them.
But I don’t plan to stay here that long, do I?
No way!!
Besides, I remember to ask, “SAMS, do I still need to pay licensing for the babies if I purchase two of different genders and they produce like a million babies all on their own?”
[No, you do not.
The licenses are only necessary for the units produced inside the Constructor.]
Nice. That opens up a bunch of other possibilities. Not that I plan to use them, but it’s nice to know I have options.
As I scroll down, I see there are pages and pages of stuff, leading to more pages, books, whole libraries. And a lot of it seems very interesting., like a part about Ervin the Big who waged wars against alien invaders. I can see myself sitting down in a comfortable recliner next to a fireplace and with a glass of something strong reading through these libraries, finding out about these creatures, their history, and their whole civilization, if you can call it that. But not now. Now I do not have time to waste.
Still, seeing it all displayed like that, makes me wonder about us humans. Is it true then that there is some supreme being, some god-like creator who has the same about for us? Keeping all about us in one place, easy to reach without a few flicks of a finger. Strange, but very likely. I do not know why it surprises me so much, not like billions of people are not actually believing in something along those lines already.
I pull myself from all those thoughts as SAM starts to blink a message asking me if I want to continue with the construction.
“Yeah, why not? Not that now I have any other option. Go ahead. Build me a monkey.”
[Do you accept DEFAULT values set for this model?]
I never got to see DEFAULT values, but, I'm not ready to waste any more of my time. So I say, "Yes, go ahead, SAMS. Build me a creature."
[Permission Accepted.
The Constructor has been activated.]
I look, hold my breath, put my hands up, ready to catch whatever jumps out of it. But then SAMS cools me off with a message,
[Configuring…]
And I see all my treasure chests suddenly lighting brighter.
[Initiating…]
It’s all soundless, but then…
The sucker starts smoking. The big one. The Constructor. At first, I hope that is how it actually functions. But it can't be. It’s never a good sign when the shit starts smoking. Not your toaster, and not a thing that is supposed to create life.
What is it going to do? How do I stop it? What if something comes out of it that is so freaky and so evil it will eat my soul alive?
Steam shoots out of the machine, and makes me twitch backward as if it can burn me. Makes me think, what if everything just blows up?
“Is everything all right?” I ask in a timid, almost trembling voice, afraid to hear the answer.
[Unable to verify the functionality of the Constructor with the Basic Version
The completion of Model 23434VEl Young is 2 percent…
The estimated time of completion is 80 minutes.]
Good. I exhale a long breath. I guess it’s moving along.
So, eighty minutes of nail-biting till I find out what I have created.
I try not to think how I used all my coins on this.
Trying not to think what will happen if I screwed it up somehow.
But anyway, with all the shit that had happened to me, how much worse can this day get?