I jumped at this, However the System just merely put them down and then brought out a box. In this box was a System Chit, another Talent Boost and a case. He then injected me with the Talent Boost. That made three of them that I have had. The chit he fed into the slot on the table and a chime rang inside me, indicating that credits had been added to my account.

“The box was your reward from the Starfox clan, held in abeyance to this day, to be paid out on your majority. You have had all the Talent Boosts injected, The credits from your inheritance and the Starfox clans paid. The points from your inheritance have been credited. The AI Bot has been put in Bay 15. Which leaves the last of the rewards which is this.” He opened up the case and within it was a set of oculars implants. Inserted like they were contact lenses, they would merge into your eyes and interestingly enough open another path for me, that like System Connections, the points could only be used within them. The first point would also be assigned due to whatever implant you had. As it happened I had planned on getting these at some point, which meant another expense I did not have to pay for. By my calculation I had saved a fortune already, while possibly inheriting a fortune. I slipped these on, and let them get to work, enduring the minor discomfort that occurred

“Before we move onto starting your Status sheet build, I would like to make an offer. Your parent’s ship is outdated, and would need a lot of work done to it. However, I would be willing to purchase it and everything attached to it, excluding the astromech. This would pretty much just leave you with the astromech and the AI bot in Bay 15 with everything else either already in your possession or in your living quarters.” I thought about this. Depending on the price offered, this might be for the best. As the upgrading and adapting that I was going to need, would probably cost me more than it was worth. Yes, it was my parent’s ship. However, my parents had approximately 4 different ships over the course of my life, showing they changed according to what was needed.

“The offer on it?”

“Could possibly change according to whatever you chose according to your connections path. All I need to know right now, if you would be willing to entertain the offer?” Well, I was definitely willing to listen to it and indicated agreement to that. “Excellent. Now let's get down to the nitty gritty of the Status Page.” System sure had a funny way of talking sometimes, but hey, he was over 5000 years old. I figured he was entitled to it.

Name: Stefan Nurfern

Age: 16

Status: Emancipated Minor

And there was my first change. A minor thing, but it opened up so many doors for me and would now let me determine the path of my own life. Daunting, but exciting.

Talents - Jack of Trades Path opened, Lore path upgraded to Librarian. Path added and paths combined to make Exploration T2,

I looked at my Talents. Some of it I could guess. Most of it confused the hell out of me. The T2 meant that five paths that were available to me had combined and as a result, became a T2 path, which meant I would have the 10 path points for those paths involved, but whereas I might have needed to put a point in each of the paths involved that dealt with the same thing, just different aspects, The T2 would combine those aspect so that I might only have to spend 1-3 points to cover those original 5. If I had spent points in the basic paths before it had combined to become a T2, it would have refunded those points. As to what paths combined to make this for exploration, I could guess some, had no idea in others. The ship one I knew, as I had purposely worked for it, and it was one of the more common T2 paths

The Jack of Trades path I knew vaguely about, if I put a point into a subject within that path, I would gain the basic knowledge of that subject and what I would need to achieve the path or paths associated. People could not tell other people the specifics however. Hence why not much was known other than that basic description.

Lore was my original path. Was a way of learning stuff local to where you were, to give you clues to follow, which could lead to discoveries that could be worth something. I had no idea what librarian meant in this context, and I said as much to System.

“Librarian is an updated path of Lore, that can help show links between different lores and can also provide more information than Lore does. If that information is available through public System libraries it is made available to your skill automatically. As a result, it functions as a personal library that you can access within your own mind, with the information you have learned. Putting points in that path can improve on libraries' access levels or possibly provide linkage to similar lore.” Could be useful, might not. I suspected the only reason I had access to Lore in the first place was listening to the discussions of my parents when I was little.

Path Qualified for:

Small Ships T2 -Small Ship Piloting/Small Ship Systems/Small Ship Weapons/Small Ship Engineering/Small Ship Command

Specialised Systems

Exploration T2 - Librarian/Space Exploration/Survival/Personal Weapons/Self-improvement

Computer Engineering upgraded to Robotics

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Jack Of Trades

System Connections

Path Points: 37

I felt overwhelmed by this. While most people had a common T2 path completed, it was normally that and nothing else. I had two T2 paths of which one was not common, and four other paths aside. Plus nine extra points. All at age 16. I knew people who were five years older than me who didn't have half of this. Full T1 were normally the work of a decade or more. Most T2 took five years to at least achieve, and decades to fill. T3 were the stuff of legends. Which brought us to the other function of Path Points

A normal human had 100 years as a base factor. Each Path point was worth a year. That same point would be worth 10 within the T2 skill. If you reached T3, each Path point within it would be worth 100. A human with 10 T1 skills maxed out would be worth that original 100 + 500. A T2, 100 + 250 + 2500. A T3, 100 + 250 +2500 + 25000. Which meant there were probably people alive from when System was created. As it stood, I would live for 317 years, of which I had already lived 16, even if I never earned another path point. Which led me to ask a question about my System related skill.

“Does System Connection take up an actual slot?” System smiled.

“No. But while you have it, It does add to your years. Think of it as an extra reward from me, so long you qualify.” Left unspoken is the fact that if someone was to have it, lose it and be using those path points for life, instant death. While I sat there thinking about this, System suddenly spoke.

“While I would recommend you think about and spend most of those path points after an evaluation later, I would recommend you spend Your System Connections Path points now, as it could have an impact on what to come.” I nodded and he put up a display. I could access this internally within myself, but while here, System could show us both on his screens. I studied the screen intently.

A normal T1 path was five sections and you started with two points. You could choose to specialised or generalise and this could lead to other paths. T2 Paths you had five sections and you started with ten points and earned up to five more. Some interesting builds could come about in T2 using T1 and/or T2 skills. T3 Paths could only come about once you filled five T2 Paths that synergized with each other. The problem being, you wouldn’t know if they would until you were done. If you knew what to choose it wasn't a problem. But people at my level did not normally have that information.

If you choose wrongly, as far as Stefan knew, there were three choices. One being, live with it. Two being System Reset, where you could reset each T1-T2-T3 skill as required and make new choices. The problem being, each reset of a particular skill would cost more and each Tier would cost more. The third was being extraordinarily lucky enough to find a Skill reset which to date in 5000 years, was seven used so far. As System would let people know they were used. Not who was using them, but the fact they were used. Why it did this, nobody knew.

There were some safe builds that everyone knew about and people would use to achieve their aim. The problem being that most of the common T1 builds wouldn’t go beyond T2. So most people using the common builds would make T2 max, and not fill all T2 slots. System for a fee could be consulted to help with builds but again, was very expensive the bigger the build.

System Connections was the only Path where what you were offered, could vary according to what System chose to offer you, based on its own decisions. As a result, It was easy to tell if someone had a System Connections skill. Impossible to know what it held. So I looked to see what choices mine offered.

Station Services

System Services

Sector Services

Exploration Services

There were only four sections, and no offers were shown. I looked at System waiting for an explanation. He nodded at me and spoke.

“System Connections is an unusual one. In this instant, you have two Path Points. Pick two services, and You will then be offered with six offers, of which you can choose only two. If you earn more path points in this path, know that any offer you reject today, may not be there next time.” I sat back. Asked myself what I do I need? I knew what my goals were. Hadn’t mentioned them to anyone else except in a corner of my own heart to myself. So I chose System Services and Exploration Services.

Personal Inventory, Ship upgrade, Lore file, Expedited start, Market Search, T2 reset.

I looked at the list. Most of it seemed self explanatory. Some of it wasn’t. However two of them I immediately chose, one because I knew what it was. One, I hoped I did. “Personal Inventory and Market Search.”

I could see that I had surprised System. I had made choices he hadn’t anticipated. He didn’t look displeased, however, more intrigued. “Interesting choices. Different from what I thought you would choose, in one of those. It could be more beneficial for you, it could be. I am now willing to make that offer on your parent’s ship.” and so saying he offered up enough credits that I deemed it worth it to just sell. So with that out of the way, I thought we would move on with my Status Sheet. I was wrong.

“Jack of Trades. I direct you to open this one now. I purposefully keep information about this one hidden. As this along with System Connections and three other skills, are all outside the normal skills.” At this I froze. Granted, those five paths If I was to get them and full point them, would only add 25 years to my life. But what utility or enhancement could they have on everything else? So I opened it within my menu and looked at it.There was only one section and ten offers. Those offers were.

Merchant/Soldier/Technician/Spy/Commander/Teacher/Crafter/Harvester/Fixer/Refiner

Just like System Connections, there was no explanation. However, looking at it, I could roughly guess what some were. Others, I haven't a clue. So I decided to play it safe. I chose Harvester and Refiner. While I was a little unsure on Refiner, I gambled on it being potentially useful. I chose them and all at once, I knew I could pass exams relating to the subjects and that if I could do it right, there were T2 paths I could take. Knowing this, I suddenly found myself with two more T2 paths on my status sheets. System looked at me knowingly and spoke.

“Do you know, I have no idea of what exactly is in the Jack of Trades Path. Oh I know you have now got these T2 paths but no idea how you got there. It is in the system. Yet, I didn’t create it.” And it was at this point I realised I didn't know either. Nor could I explain anything. All I knew was I had two more next T2 skills and knew all the relevant information involved. That scared me somewhat. He smiled and brought up my new Status Sheet.