Ok then, so...I gained passive abilities because I had a Hero Unit and would gain more based on her level. I could only really frown at that because I had a level myself but neither showed an experience bar, so how the hell was I supposed to increase it?

System advises Player that the only way to increase his personal level is to show outstanding ability in commanding his forces during Campaign Maps. A Hero Units level is increased based on the number of kills they obtain, either in a Campaign Map or in the Game Universe.

I yelped in shock, making Nova give me a strange look, likely thinking I was utterly insane. Needless to say, that wasn’t a concern for me at the moment. The fucking concern was the System had responded to me when I didn’t ask it a personal question, I had only thought the question.

I really didn’t like that it was reading my mind. Though it would keep awkward situations from occurring in the future, that hardly mattered at the moment.

“Nova, ok...Um...Follow me?” Talking to this woman was made difficult by the System doing what it did, and my inner fanboy being too occupied staring at her face. Looking elsewhere gave me the impression she might ram that rifle of hers up my ass and use me as the gun.

“Sir, is that a question or an order?” Blinking, I ignored the sight of her tilted head, the ponytail bouncing with the motion to the best of my ability and coughed.

“Right, a request. I need to go speak with Lieutenant Fernando, and I might have some requests for you later on. For now, just follow me.”

She nodded, and I sighed in relief. I thought about the system, and this time managed to stifle the growing fear that it had such free access to my brain.

System advises Player that all Campaign Maps are set in order from the beginning of your Earth game, StarCraft, until the ending of the latest installment. All rewards are spread out across the entirety of the game and are not limited to the Campaign Map you finish.

System Advises Player that at your current rank of General level one, you may only take one Hero Unit and five combat units of low rank with you into your Campaign Maps.

System advises Player, you have three days, Mar Sara standard time, to complete your first Campaign Map. Further advised, all Campaign Maps will give you set main objectives that must be completed, or you will die. Bonus objectives provide extra rewards, but need not be completed.

-WARNING- System advises Player that your difficulty has a bonus modifier of two at this time, difficulty named ‘Hell’. All objectives, main or bonus, will now have a time requirement to complete them.

Ok, so...fuck the energy floating fucker for increasing the difficulty. Also, the System seemed to give a great deal of information based on the question itself, adding extra as it saw fit. That was good to know at least. Still, FUCK that giant ball of floating gas that put me here.

Taking a deep breath, I calmed down some. Right, I could take Nova and five men, or women, with me into the Campaign Map to assist me. Considering what I knew about Nova, that would make a lot of the objectives a great deal easier. I could focus on one, and she could complete another.

I had three days to start a Campaign Map, which confused me because I was supposed to have a week. Which the System helpfully provided an answer to me. It stated that the week time limit occurred only after the first Campaign Map was completed, the Tutorial had no standing. The three-day reprieve was to allow me time to build up my Game Universe defenses. Apparently, time flowed at the same rate while I was on the Campaign Map, meaning I could come back to a bunch of dead bodies depending on the length of the Maps I entered.

Right, Fernando was staying behind and being given free reign. When we arrived at Fernando's location, he was barking orders at the newly equipped Militia, each of them labeled ‘Militia Recruit’. It gave me the time to check out Fernando’s stats.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Lieutenant Fernando

Level: 1

Rank: Veteran Marine

Damage - 19

Defense - 25

Abilities - Military Discipline, Coordinated Movement

Yea, still a monster. How the fuck is his defense that high? What kind of Marine Armor is he using? Moving on, he really was the perfect leader type unit. Military Discipline increased the training speed of any new recruits by ten percent, not sure what that meant yet, beyond the obvious. Coordinated Movement allowed him to move huge numbers in tactical engagements without slipping up.

I had no idea why their equipment wasn’t shown either, asking the System didn’t help much there. It stated my available information access did not allow me more detailed status. That must be relegated to the whole trust and loyalty portion, which were missing from the stats too.

Fuck it, I’d earn it the hard way. Fernando just finished his instructions to the fifty Militia Recruits before turning to me, raising his visor, and saluting sharply.

I blinked, ok, where the fuck did my middle-aged grizzled veteran go? Why did his face look like a sculpted god? Fucking system! “Sir! I sent the men to start a security cordon a mile outside of our settlement. Ten are scouting further so we can get an idea of any hostile forces in the area. Kel-Morian Pirates have been known to raid this far out of Terran Space.”

So...ok, right. Just assume that there is a set government, I mean I was a Colonial Magistrate. “Good work, Fernando. This is Agent Nova, a Ghost assigned to assist us.”

Fernando eyed the gorgeous woman, openly distrustful. Not that surprising, Ghosts were spies and assassins after all. Thankfully she was my personal Ghost, thanks to the System.

“Lieutenant.” Nova nodded slightly at him. Fernando turned his attention back to me, ignoring her.

“Sir, since we have a Ghost, she can help our Recon teams. Would you mind sending her out?” Blinking slowly, I had Nova do just that, then turned to Fernando with a raised brow at his very blatant distrust and lack of respect for her obvious training.

“Sir, she is a Ghost. Their reputation as backstabbing killers is well earned. Are you sure it’s wise to have her so close to you? We have no real defense against a Ghost as trained as she appears to be at this time.”

Ah, now it made sense. None of the people in the Game Universe knew about the System, they were just given information based on the current state of the Game Universe itself. So he had no clue that she wouldn’t fuck me over unless I really screwed the pooch.

“Fernando, thank you for the concern. But Nova is trustworthy, for now at least. Take your time to observe her if it helps, I’ll go ahead and have you appointed as my personal nanny..bodyguard if it helps. Until such time as you trust her more at least.”

System Announcement! Players actions have increased his standing with Lieutenant Fernando. He is more inclined to trust you, and your choices now.

Now that was interesting, and something to look into later. “For now though, what do we have going for us? Resources, munitions, equipment?”

Another crisp salute. “Sir, I have the SCV Riggs, and the Civilians familiar with their operation building shelter. Resources are abundant enough to build the basic shelters for all of our people, a few Supply Depots, and a Barracks to house our Militia forces. I’m hoping to find a Mineral deposit within our set Defensive Corden so we can start working on more Depots, we will need them to feed our people as we grow.”

That made me frown a bit, I meant...I saw the SCV Riggs working on a structure that I assumed would become a shelter, I trust Fernando to coordinate the placement for now. But I didn’t see metal anywhere, and they were obviously building it as a metal structure.

System advises Player that all structures and the vast majority of items are created with Minerals or Vespene Gas. The SCV Riggs use a small piece of metal in their welders, and due to the unique structure of your Game Universes resources, turns them into the required material itself through an alchemical reaction the raw forms of your resources possess.

I took that in slowly, ok...Confusing, but at least it didn’t say people were suddenly grown with that like they seemed to be in the actual game. That would be...disturbing.

“Alright, Fernando. Keep up the good work. Once we have the Shelter and Supply Depots set up you can work on a Barracks. I trust your planning sense. After that, if we find a Mineral deposit within our little area, I want you to see about making more SCV Riggs, and getting other Civilians trained in their use. We will need them if we want to get Bunkers placed at key locations for our men to defend, and I also want plans for a wall surrounding our main area, set at your designated security cordon.”

“I’ll see it done, Sir. I have a question for you as well.”

I gestured for him to go ahead with that, and saw him slowly look at my out armor, in all its pinching Glory.

“Sir, why do you have that on backward?”