Booster woke up with an idea. He glanced over at Arkana still asleep next to him. Indecision gnawed at him. He only got a few hours of sleep in. It was still early. He could lay here and think about the idea for a while. And he could think of some very good reasons to stay in bed. He laid back down and snuggled up to her.
“Mmmm. Hey.” Arkana smiled and reciprocated the snuggle. “Awake already?”
“Well, sort of. But I decided I’d rather stay here right now.”
She moved in and kissed him. “Good choice.”
“I mean...I thought so.” Booster continued the make out session.
“What was the other choice?” Arkana snuck in.
“Just an idea.” He murmured while she kissed his neck.
“What idea?” She replied as he pulled her closer and kissed her neck in return.
“Just hooking up the Devourer core to a grow light on an aeroponic chamber and see if it had an effect on the growth rate of the plants.” He sighed at her ministrations.
Arkana’s head popped up. “Booster! That’s a great idea.”
“I know, right?” He moved his hands over her body. “We should get working on that in about 15 minutes.”
“Make it 30.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
----------------------------------------
Two hours later they made it into the lab, freshly showered and with coffee in hand. They quickly found Lotus and accosted her with enthusiasm.
“Hey Lotus! How’s it going? What are you working on?” Booster asked on one side.
“Are you trying to grow anything in particular? Is there some small batch we can try and help you with?” Arkana inquired from the other.
Lotus held up her hands having ceased whatever she was doing. She gave them each some side-eye in turn.
“What?” Arkana asked.
“The last time something like this happened I got mugged.” Lotus said deadpan.
“Look,” Booster jumped in. “we have an idea. We need an aeroponic chamber and a sample of something to grow. Something harmless.”
“Harmless?” Lotus asked in bafflement. Then she considered it. “Ok, yeah, that’s a fair ask on this planet.”
She turned and looked around with her finger tapping on her lip.
“Tell us about some of the things you have been working on. Maybe we can help?” Arkana asked.
“Ok,” With so many different things going on, it took her a moment to gather her thoughts. Then, you could just about see the light bulb go off in her head. “Maybe you could help with this.”
She walked across the room to an area that had several species of live plants. She picked up one that was different from all the others. This one was a relatively small sample, something like an herb that had long, wide leaves. It would have been completely unremarkable to Booster except for the bright, almost glowing veins that ran through the leaves.
“We have a quest that involves this plant. It’s called Aetherleaf. It says that we should harvest enough of this to make 400 ml of extract from this. We don’t have nearly enough, and we can’t seem to find anymore. That said, we find more, grow more, or we don’t complete the quest. If you manage to grow more, then great. If you kill it, then we aren’t out much. If it mutates into something that eats people, then we’ve learned something. Haven’t we? What do you think?”
“We’ll give it a shot.” Arkana replied. “Anything we should know about it?”
“I should add, we don’t know which aeroponic solution will be better. We have very limited knowledge of these plants. Just use a general solution, if we get more plants, we can try out different varieties to find the optimal solution. Also, this plant is a sciophyte that is used to growing under the forest canopy, so go easy on the light intensity.”
Arkana nodded and grabbed the plant from Lotus. “Alright, we’ll take it from here.”
Booster assumed Arkana knew what a sciophyte was and so he just nodded along.
----------------------------------------
Booster ran through several possibilities for adding the devourer core to the aeroponic chamber. He considered submerging it in the solution, setting it near the roots, wiring it in direct line with the lights, but he opted on the simplest method he could think of. Sometimes, simple was the best place to start.
Arkana set up the chamber with the solution and the plant. Booster set the core to be just below the grow lights. He drilled 2 holes in the lid of the chamber and ran wires through the holes to which he could connect the tone generator. It didn’t have to be pretty, they just needed to see if it could work.
Arkana placed the lid with the grow lights on the chamber. They decided to find a place as far away from the rest of the botanical experiments as they could. In the end, they opted for Arkana’s quarters.
She set the temperature and humidity to about the same as the rainforest and set the grow lights to the proper setting for a plant the prefers shade. Booster set up a cam to record the plant growth. He connected the tone generator and turned it on to the setting previous setting at 10 watts and a frequency of 1.6 kHz.
Immediately, the Aetherleaf perked up.
“Well,” Arkana shrugged. “I guess we could get some lunch?”
“Yeah. That sounds good.” Booster agreed if not entirely enthusiastically.
“Or we could find something else to do for a bit. You know, in here.” She gestured to her quarters.
“We probably shouldn’t go too far.” Booster considered thoughtfully. “We should keep an eye on this for, at least...I don’t know...15 minutes?”
“Make it 30”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
----------------------------------------
They were about to leave for lunch about an hour later, when Booster took a closer look at the chamber. “Didn’t you fill this up to the limit line?” He indicated the maximum fill line for the solution in the bottom of the chamber.
“Yup. Why?” Arkana asked as she finished putting her hair back into a ponytail.
“Well, it’s gone down a little.” Booster stepped back and scrutinized the plant. “Does it look bigger to you?”
“Oh yeah. Biggest I’ve ever seen. It’s a monster.” She said in a syrupy condescending tone.
Booster looked back at her in confusion and saw the wicked grin on her face. “Ha ha. I mean the plant. But I’ll tell everyone you said so.”
“Oh, you will, huh?” Arkana hit him on the shoulder.
“Seriously, bigger?” He pointed to the plant.
“Meh...maybe?” She looked at it for a bit. And looked at the camera. “Say. We, uh, didn’t do anything in front of the camera right?”
“No. Of course not.” Booster assured her. Then he turned and tried to examine how the camera was pointing and then recall everything that happened. He glanced back at her and smiled confidently. “I think we are fine.”
“We better check that footage before anyone sees it.” Arkana said sharply.
“Sure, Sure.” He nodded. “Let’s get lunch. I am apparently being drained of all nutrients today.”
“Oh, that’s how it is? Are you saying I’m some kind of succubus?”
“That depends on if you were to find that comparison flattering or not.”
----------------------------------------
While they were eating, they caught footage of Mahina in the forest.
“Wow, that is amazing.” Booster said. He was a bit envious of Mahina’s abilities. While he had some genetic and cybernetic modifications, they were the minimums and hardly an improvement over a baseline human. At least, nothing that obviously set him apart from a baseline human. There is nothing sexy about being 300% more effective at fighting off a virus.
“You know. We could add some things to you in scrum.” Arkana said.
“Huh?”
“I know you don’t have much and perhaps never wanted any cybernetics or even advanced gene edits. But if you wanted to see what it was like, we could do it in scrum, and then when the scrum’s over, you are back to normal.”
Booster considered this for a moment.
She added with a smirk. “I mean, as normal, as you can get. Which is still kind of weird.”
“Oh? Well, then, you must be very into weird.” He smiled and waggled his eyebrows.
“What can I say? I have a weakness for guys that stick strange balls in their mouth.” Her wicked grin returned. “Seriously, though. What do you think?”
Booster struggled with the idea for a moment. He had never considered the possibility before. It was never something that had been discussed in his family. It was simply anathema. Well, that’s not entirely true. It had been discussed as never being a possibility. If they needed a new limb or organ or whatever. A cloned organ or limb MIGHT be acceptable. An artificial one or any genetic modification was out of the question. Booster even argued that a wheelchair was effectively a prosthetic to a person that had paralyzed legs. His father insisted that a wheelchair would be fine, but a spinal bridge, or artificial legs would not be acceptable. While he expressed significant displeasure at the idea of an exoskeleton, he had a hard time arguing that it was really any different than having a wheelchair as long as the exoskeleton wasn’t biointegrated.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Clearly, that was zealotry talking and not reason. Booster wanted to say that such irrational thought made up his mind for him. If his father’s position is irrational then the rational viewpoint is the opposite, right? But he didn’t know if he could do it. It didn’t feel right. Even in a scrum, where it would have no real impact, it felt unthinkable. What if he liked it? What if he wanted more? What if it changed him?
“I don’t know.” He shook his head struggling with what it was that bothered him about the idea. His rational mind said he was being illogical.
She reached over and grabbed his hand. “Listen, you don’t have to decide this second or today or this month. You might get this done and hate it. Then, I would feel bad for suggesting it and I would have to spend the rest of the scrum trying to make you feel better.”
“Hmmm, I could think of a few things that might make me feel better.”
She playfully slapped his arm. “You haven’t done anything yet.”
She had playfully slapped him with an artificial hand. Her left forearm and hand were cybernetic along with eye implants and lungs. She used the arm for some additional tools that could fold out and processing power for her eyes. The lungs, or lung since it was a hyper efficient gas exchange system with a built-in scrubber, was the result of being exposed as a child to harmful dust and air in a megacity. She could have lived without the lung but at a reduced capacity.
He knew he didn’t think any less of her for having those artificial parts. In some way he found them attractive. Her hand had realistic dermal plating. It was decorated with a design that resembled a tattoo of vines and purple flowers that ran up her forearm. He could tell it was dermal plating if he really tried, but it was so close, it didn’t matter. It was her.
What really irritated him was that there was no reason for him not to do it except for these unreasonable rules he grew up with and can’t seem to shake.
“Like I said, "she added softly. “This isn’t a decision that has to be made right this second. I can see you are struggling. Let’s go back to my room.”
He peered up at her with a raised eyebrow.
“To check on the experiment.” She said wide eyed and laughed. “Gracious sakes, you have a one-track mind!”
----------------------------------------
Upon arriving back in the room, they had a result. The plant was 3 or 4 times the size it was previously.
----------------------------------------
Quest updated!
Life, uh, Finds A Way. – Discover the properties of an irragen core to make use of the core. (Chain Quest)
Updates
-Harness the potential of the irragenic core.
-It has been found that an irragen core can be activated. Once activated, the core can be used in applications suited to its aspect.
----------------------------------------
Quest Completed! Life, uh, Finds A Way. – Discover the properties of an irragen core to make use of the core. (Chain Quest)
Irragen points awarded!
Since this quest was completed by multiple colonists, irragen points will be divided among those that participated in the quest according to their contribution toward the final goal.
----------------------------------------
Booster and Arkana both jumped when the message came up. “We did it!” Arkana laughed and hugged him.
They both received a new notification.
----------------------------------------
Quest Updated!
Release The Kraken - Acquire sufficient experience to surpass the threshold to fully engage the PHENO system. (100% Complete)
----------------------------------------
Congratulations!
You have acquired sufficient irragen to unlock the PHENOsystem!
You are now Tier 1 Level 1.
You have 1 attribute point to distribute
You will receive 1 attribute point per level increase.
At Tier 1, Level 18 you will be offered at least 3 PHENOTYPE options to choose from.
Options will change based on:
Accomplishments,
Methodologies,
Attribute Point Total,
and Attribute Point Distribution.
These PHENOTYPES may offer bonus attributes per level, an attribute focus, and/or specific abilities.
The Power attribute will be unlocked by some PHENOTYPES or irragenic abilities.
----------------------------------------
Current Stats
Name: Booster
Variant class: 3
Tier: 1
Level: 1
PHENOtype: not selected
Attributes
Stats Score Modified Durability: 4 6 Utility: 4 6 Vigor: 4 6 Control: 5 9 Power: N/A N/A
Attribute points to distribute: 1
----------------------------------------
You have earned 1 Honormark!
-You are the first to unlock the PHENOsytem without entering combat. The Pacifist Honormark reduces the likelihood you will be preemptively attacked by 50% if you are alone and by 100% if you are with others.
----------------------------------------
You have acquired sufficient irragen to increase your level!
You are now Tier 1 Level 2.
You have 1 attribute point to distribute.
You have 2 undistributed attribute points.
Do you accept these changes? Y/N
----------------------------------------
Arkana also unlocked the system.
----------------------------------------
Current Stats
Name: Arkana
Variant class: 3
Tier: 1
Level: 1
PHENOtype: not selected
Attributes
Stats Score Modified Durability: 5 9 Utility: 5 10 Vigor: 5 9 Control: 5 9 Power: N/A N/A
Attribute points to distribute: 1
----------------------------------------
You have acquired sufficient irragen to increase your level!
You are now Tier 1 Level 2.
You have 1 attribute point to distribute.
You are now Tier 1 Level 3.
You have 1 attribute point to distribute.
You have 3 undistributed attribute points.
Do you accept these changes? Y/N
----------------------------------------
“Did you get it too?” Booster asked.
She nodded. “Should we accept?”
“I think so.”
They both felt and saw the light. It filled them and Arkana’s room until all they could see was white. As it ended, they stood there stunned.
“What do we do now?” Arkana asked.
“Hmmm, I don’t feel any different? Do you feel different?” Booster asked as he glanced down at himself expecting to see bulging muscles of something.
“I don’t know. Maybe we should feel each other and find out.” She had that grin again.
“Now who has the one-track mind?”
“Hey,” she said with a very serious face. “I am only going to feel you up in the interest of science. I mean, this time.”
“Let’s get the Aetherleaf to the Lab and then figure out what to do next.” Booster said.
----------------------------------------
Lotus was gobsmacked. “How? Why? When?” She took a breath. “How did this happen?”
Booster explained the process to her. And set up the experiment to continue in the lab noticing that all the plants in the lab angled toward the chamber. He decided to turn off the tone generator for now. “It may be worth moving things around to see if placement of the core in relation to the plant has any different effects. There is possibly an optimal placement. Also, I wonder if there is a way to transmit the effect? Can we use one core for an entire green house?”
“We should also see if the core is being consumed.” Arkana added.
“That’s a good point.” Booster said.
Lotus stood there staring at the plant with her mouth open.
“You’re going to catch flies, Honey.” Arkana chuckled.
“OK, yeah. Yeah.” Lotus was nodding. “This just created a lot of work for me, but it is very exciting. This could change everything.”
Another voice broke in. “Excuse me. I am looking for the group that is experimenting on irragen cores?” Mahina asked.
“Oh, that would be us I guess.” Arkana said.
Mahina pulled out a small sample container from her pack that had two small bright red cores within it. She passed the container to Booster.
Booster held the container up to the light. “Wow, those are kind of pretty.” He glanced back at Mahina. “Do you know what kind of abilities the creatures that you took these from had?”
“Uh, hmm. They were big wasps. Very big wasps called Wraithwasps. They would hit you with a stinger like the wasps we are all familiar with. Except the stinger would attempt to pierce the head of a creature and inject a larva. I don’t know that I saw any ability. I killed one fast up close and one from a distance.”
“Well, I guess we can try and figure it out.” Arkana said looking at it. “They sound awful. Maybe some kind of piercing ability?”
“I also have a sample of the larva.” She dug in her pack for a moment and pulled out a slightly larger sample container with a six-inch white larva within. “It’s dead though.”
The larva twitched and wriggled as if trying to escape the light.
“Huh. It’s not as dead as I thought.” Mahina smiled. “Be very careful with that.”
Booster wasn’t sure he wanted to ask but decided it wouldn’t hurt to throw this out there. “Mahina, how dangerous is it out there? You seemed to be doing very well.”
“That is kind of you to say. I very nearly died, or respawned, and if not for unlocking the PHENOsystem, I would have been crippled out there.”
“Oh,” Booster said a little surprised.
“But, with many creatures, it is as you said. I think I am a bad match for many of them. I am not subject to poison or many things that might affect flesh and bone plus I am very resilient to start with. Given my access to basic targeting and em projectile weapons, I can easily target weak spots from a distance.”
“I see,” Booster said with clear disappointment.
“That doesn’t mean you should not go out.” Mahina looked him in the eye. “It may be uncomfortable, and it may be painful, but you also may learn skills that will keep you alive in real life. I don’t mean skills in the PHENOsystem. I mean real life skills. Learning here when to fight, when to run, where to shoot, where to stab, and having experience doing all of that without the chance of dying at the first mistake is a gift that should not be ignored. It may save your life or the life of someone you care about someday.”
“That is a good argument.” Booster said.
“I don’t mean to undermine what you are doing here. Clearly this is important and can give us insight into our new world. But these tasks will still be there when we get there and they, so far, have not proved life threatening.” She paused for a moment to think and then continued. “We, as a group, are strong at researching and learning. We are strong at making weapons and armor and fabricating the things we need. We are weak at survival skills and fighting the things in this world. We are used to cities and not jungles. We are used to humans and not monsters. We have a chance to change those weaknesses to strengths without the risk of death. We would be fools not to do so.”
This seemed to drive the point home.
“Do you think we could go out there with you?” Booster asked.
Mahina didn’t hesitate. “Of course. I think with good armor, an array of weapons, maximizing whatever visual and scanning array we can plug into your existing cybernetics, and supplementing any weaknesses with drones, we may be able to duplicate 60 to 70% of the advantages I have. Perhaps we can get the system unlocked for you and we can all compare notes on how we progress.”
“We’ve already unlocked the PHENOsystem.” Arkana indicated Booster and herself.
“Oh?” Mahina raised her eyebrows. “Well, then all the more reason we should get out there and learn.”