Just as the brief ripple of shock at Thea's astonishing arsenal was beginning to fade, Karania saw fit to further stoke the embers of their surprise. Evidently deciding to contribute to the spectacle, she tossed in a final remark that truly knocked the wind out of the squad's sails.
"She also 'overlooked' the fact that she outright purchased all of this," Karania chimed in, her tone feigning casual indifference that verged on boredom.
"Everything you see here - none of it is leased. It's all completely paid for and registered under her name - including that beast of a weapon," she indicated, nonchalantly gesturing towards the anti-material railgun.
The effect was immediate and palpable, hitting exactly how Karania had seemingly intended. If the rest of the squad had been awestruck before, now they were positively flabbergasted.
Isabella’s mouth gaped open, an emblem of silent disbelief, while Lucas put a hand to his forehead as if to steady the whirlwind of thoughts within.
Desmond's eyes transformed into perfectly round marbles that seemed on the verge of popping out of their sockets.
Corvus simply shook his head, a broad grin splitting his face as he muttered, "I can't even begin to fathom the cost of all this. This is absolutely insane." His statement triggered a wave of agreeing murmurs from the rest of the squad.
At this point, Thea and Karania, no longer able to maintain their pretence, burst into hearty laughter at their squadmates' reactions.
Karania chimed in through her chuckles, "I'm just relieved that the rest of you are within my price range. You can't imagine my despair yesterday while shopping alongside this Credit tycoon," she gestured towards Thea, her laughter punctuating her words, "I was terrified I was the only one scraping by. Meanwhile, she’s over here, nonchalantly buying T2 railguns like they're children’s toys."
"Let's be fair, my purchase was only feasible due to the half-off voucher I won from the shooting range trial. I wasn't exactly swimming in wealth, you know?" Thea retorted, a playful pout on her lips as she defended herself against the accusations of frivolous spending.
Karania rolled her eyes, her tone laden with mock exasperation, "Oh please, 'not that rich,' she says. I could barely scrape together enough for my basic gear, and that was after leasing nearly everything I could. The idea of shelling out, what, 3k on a melee weapon, when you’re a Scout/Sniper is simply ludicrous. Face it, Thea, you were loaded!"
As much as she wished to retort, Thea was ultimately left speechless, unable to dispute Karania's words.
Only now, after having observed the rest of Alpha Squad's gear, much of which was leased, did she fully comprehend the magnitude of her prior wealth. Factoring in the half-off voucher and her complimentary sidearm, it was undeniable - compared to her squadmates, she had been, in fact, ridiculously wealthy.
With a defeated tone in her voice, she meekly added, “Alright… Fine… But I only chose to buy things I know I’ll use for a while! And considering we were severely lacking in anti-vehicle weapons, outside of Desmond’s drones, you better be thankful I splurged for the railgun!”
“I think I speak for all of us when I say that I can’t wait to see that thing in action. I’ve never even seen a rifle that large, much less a sniper-railgun,” Corvus offered, trying to steer the conversation back towards the topic at hand.
A renewed murmur of agreements came from all around him, before he continued, “... I honestly am kind of scared to ask now, but… You got some Abilities too, yes?”
Suddenly realising that she had completely derailed their prep session, Thea’s face flushed and she was thankful for the Spectre’s hood to cover her features, as she quickly answered, “Ah! Yes! Here you go!”
Shouldering her Caliburn, which put an appreciable weight on her left shoulder as she did so, she stretched out her right hand and displayed her array of Abilities.
[Active (Silver) - Sky Step - Level 0]
Description: Allows the participant to use up a certain amount of Focus and Stamina to temporarily create a solid plane below their feet, up to a certain number of times. These planes are 1cm thick, 20x20cm wide, and can sustain a maximum amount of weight before breaking. The planes will break if enough force is applied to them, based on a factor of their maximum weight allowance.
Cost: 30 Stamina + 30 Focus - Duration: 1 second(s)
Maximum Planes: 1 - Maximum Weight: 150kg
[Active (Iron) - Inspect Target - Level 0]
Description: Allows the participant to use up a certain amount of Focus in order to inspect another participant’s basic profile. The full basic profile lists a rough estimate of the Level, Attribute spread and the most used Active- and Passive-type Ability of the inspected target. This Ability relies on the participant’s Perception Attribute to overcome resistances.
Cost: 60 Focus - Maximum Targets: 1 - Perception Scaling: 20%
[Active (Copper) - Improved Sprint - Level 0]
Description: Allows the participant to use a certain amount of Stamina to briefly boost their movement speed, based on a percentage of their baseline, up to a maximum speed.
Cost: 30 Stamina - Effect Duration: 10 seconds - Boost Factor: 50%
Maximum Movement Speed: 30m/s
[Active (Iron) - Penetrative Shot - Level 0]
Requirements: Ballistic, Ranged
Description: Allows the participant to use up a certain amount of Stamina and Focus in order to drastically increase the penetrative power of their shot(s). However, this augmented shot is incapable of penetrating materials beyond a predetermined tier.
Cost: 30 Stamina + 30 Focus - Factor: 5x - Maximum Material Tier: 1 - Effect Duration: 1 shot(s) or 1 second(s).
[Passive (Iron) - Agile Stealth - Level 0]
Description: Enhances the participant's proficiency in remaining undetected and leaving no evidence of their presence when attempting to stay concealed. This Ability actively opposes the Perception Attribute of potential observers and minimises the participant's impact on their surrounding environment. The effectiveness of this Ability is reliant on the participant's Finesse Attribute.
Finesse Scaling: 50%
[Passive (Silver) - Silver Respiration - Level 0]
Description: Allows the participant’s body to require less oxygen overall, increasing the time they can continue to function without breathing. Additionally increases the body’s capabilities of resisting pressure.
Additional Time: 60 Seconds - Increased Pressure Resistance: Minimum
[Passive (Silver) - Armour of Resolve - Level 0]
Description: Enhances the participant’s ability to withstand physical damage. The effectiveness of this Ability is reliant on the participant's Resolve Attribute.
Resolve Scaling: 25%
[Passive (Silver) - Meditation Focus - Level 0]
Description: Increases recovery speed of HP, Stamina and Focus by a certain factor, as long as the participant remains in a meditative stance. Drastically limits Perception for the duration of the meditative stance.
Factor: 500% - Perception Limit: 1%
“These include my Accomplishment rewards as well, as you will realise. The last one should be interesting to Karania in specific, as it’s one I had promised to show her a while ago,” Thea explained, while giving Karania a much-telling look.
A brief shadow of confusion hushed over her friend’s face, before it quickly gave way to understanding and an intense inspection of the hovering box in front of her.
Assuming that Karania had understood her vague explanation, Thea went on to explain her Ability choices.
“[Sky Step] is one of my Accomplishment rewards, so I didn’t get to choose that one. I think it really adds to my scouting capabilities however, as we all kind-of discussed when I got it, so I won’t go too in-depth on it. Same with the [Silver Respiration], which we’ve also covered already.
“[Inspect Target] should help tremendously with identifying potential high-value targets or enemy aces. I’ll be sure to relay any and all information the Ability can provide me with, as soon as I get it. I don’t think I’ll get to use it often, however, as I have quite a few Focus-based Abilities that cost a huge amount to use… I’ll probably keep it for people that already look suspicious and we aren’t certain about.
“[Improved Sprint], we’ve already seen with Lucas’ rundown. I need it, ‘cause my Strength is low and I’ll be carrying around this baby right here,” Thea added while lightly tapping the Caliburn’s stock, still nestled firmly against her shoulder.
“As for [Penetrative Shot]... Well… I kind of made a bit of a mistake here, as I picked up a laser-type DMR as my main-stay, meaning that I won’t be able to use it, the majority of the time. I only realised that after I had already bought the DMR though, so…”
Noticing the rising eyebrows and bemused grins among her squadmates at her admission of thoughtless spending, she hastily interjected, "But it's still very useful for my sidearm and the railgun! It's not a waste!"
However, her hurried explanation only provoked further amused reactions from her squad. Unwilling to linger on the topic any further, Thea hastily continued.
“Ehh… [Agile Stealth] should be pretty obvious! It helps me be stealthy. Great for scouting. Great for sniping. I have no idea how exactly it works, but I guess that’s half the fun of the System, at this point… Talking about stuff I don’t understand, Councillor Lumis highly recommended [Armour of Resolve] and I definitely can’t disagree. It sounds incredible, although I have no idea what “physical damage” even means. That said, I figure that Ella will make sure I have enough data by the end of the month, to give a detailed report,” she added with a slight wince.
This remark elicited a broad grin from Isabella. Striking her fists together with a resonating smack, she replied enthusiastically, "Consider it done, Princess!"
The sudden nickname took Thea by surprise.
She'd never been referred to as a princess, and it felt distinctly strange to her. She didn’t hate it, in particular, but it didn't quite resonate with her either.
To Thea, a princess was someone bestowed with everything at birth, facing few hardships in their lives. This didn't mirror her life experiences at all. However, she was sure Isabella held no misconceptions about her background, being the only other mid-worlder in Alpha Squad, Isabella undoubtedly had a keen understanding of the circumstances an undercity mid-worlder likely faced.
Once more, she was grateful for her Spectre’s hood, which deftly concealed her visible bewilderment. Thea was already starting to love her new armour and the assessment hadn't even started!
Swiftly redirecting attention to the topic at hand, she proceeded with her Abilities, arriving at the last one in her repertoire, albeit one of the first ones she had ever received.
"[Meditation Focus] is designed to reduce downtime. While it seems really strong, it leaves me extremely vulnerable as I lose complete touch with my surroundings. Ella will attest to that; she had a difficult time rousing me for our sparring session two days ago while I was meditating."
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Isabella's eyes widened slightly in realisation, finally understanding why Thea had been so hard to wake. She nodded, confirming Thea's anecdote, before the latter resumed, "That’s about it for my Abilities, save for [Sensory Overdrive]..."
"Such modesty," Karania interjected, her voice an amused, but low murmur, one sufficiently loud for the squad to hear, "Here she is, nonchalantly parading around five Silver-rarity Abilities and being like ‘that’s about it’, as if that wasn’t already insane on every level."
"Your loadout is incredible, Thea. Great work! I'm certain we will find a use for all of it at some point," Corvus quickly interposed, sensing the discussion veering off course again, before steering the conversation towards the usual end of the Ability showcase.
His swift intervention worked.
The squad redirected their attention to asking Thea for further clarifications and suggesting testing strategies for her Abilities. Just as they were wrapping up and about to move on, Thea remembered another detail. "Actually, there's one more thing. Regarding [Sensory Overdrive]'s alteration, I believe I've finally made a decision.
"I'm leaning towards alteration α. The most significant obstacle in using the Ability has been the intense backlash I face when it expires. While I might adapt to it over time, avoiding it altogether seems so much better - Ella had a good point with that one. It already got me killed once against her and nearly killed during my Practical as well. If we're out there during the assessment, I can't afford that kind of misstep.
"I seriously considered β as well, for the cost reduction, especially when Kara pointed out how strong of an option that would be later down the line, when I have a larger pool of Focus to play with, but I feel like I don't really want to use SO too many times in a row, if I can help it...
"So yeah. α it is. I’ll quickly confirm my selection and then show you the box, we might learn something from seeing the altered Ability window.
Corvus nodded in agreement with Thea's proposal, while Karania quickly retrieved her data-pad, undoubtedly to jot down extensive notes about the newly altered Ability.
Meanwhile, Thea navigated to her Ability section and pulled up [Sensory Overdrive]'s alteration selection once again.
[Would you like to select “Alteration α” for Silver-rank Active-type Ability “Sensory Overdrive”? This choice is irreversible until the Ability’s next Tier’s alteration choice.]
She mentally confirmed and watched her [Sensory Overdrive] window change. With practised ease, she displayed the new window to the rest of the squad, which prompted Karania to furiously start writing down things on her data-pad.
[Active (Silver) - Sensory Overdrive | α - Level 5]
Description: Allows the participant to use up a certain amount of focus to drastically heighten their own Perception and mental capabilities for a short time.
Alteration α: At the end of the active duration, gradually decreases the Perception bonus to zero, instead of abruptly falling off.
Cost: 50 Focus - Factor: 750% - Effect Duration: 0.75 seconds - α Duration: 0.1 seconds
Isabella absent-mindedly blurted out, shaking her head as she surveyed the window, "Still can’t believe you managed to get it to Level 5 before our first assessment even started..."
“Well, if someone wasn’t so fucking scary at melee combat, I wouldn’t have had to nearly kill myself with Focus costs every single round for a mere sparring session,” Thea retorted, a lingering bitterness in her voice from the realization that, despite her best efforts, she had not come even remotely close to winning during their spars.
A chuckle escaped Isabella, her face donning a smug smile as she responded, "Well, I can't afford to go easy on my juniors now, can I?"
“It’s interesting that the alteration is written in a different colour. I wonder if the colour has any meaning…? Once someone gets an alteration that isn’t α, we should check if the colour is different, or if the first one’s always blue,” Karania interjected between the two, seemingly deep in thought.
“Also interesting that it added a new variable. I’d assume that one increases with levels as well… Whether it already has levelled five times or starts off at 0.1 however, we’ll only be able to figure out once it reaches Level 6, I guess. Make sure to keep us updated on that, Thea,” Corvus chimed in, clearly more than willing to follow Karania’s lead to keep the discussion on-track.
“If there’s nothing else,” he continued, briefly waiting for a confirming nod from Thea that she was, in fact, done with her presentation, “we should get to one of the most important parts for today: Point Distribution. Everyone should’ve had enough time to think about their builds now and with Thea’s build advice, as well as Councillor Lumis’ instructions, I assume we’re all ready to invest our points now.
“Before I head over to the squad lead meeting to get the intel, we should get that done and see if there’s any errant issues that arise. Who knows what might happen when we actually use our points, after all.”
The suggestion was met with a murmur of agreement, as everyone turned their vision inwards towards their System, ready to finally level up.
Thea, too, opened her System interface in front of her mind’s eye and navigated towards the Attribute section. Following that, she prompted the level-up screen to appear, which greeted her with a familiar sight.
[Status & Attributes]:
Thea McKay - Level 4.26 - Contribution Points: 117.55 / 440 - Unspent Attribute Points: 16
HP: 121 / 121 - Stamina: 155 / 155 - Focus: 215 / 215 - TBD - TBD
Class: None - Specialization: None - Title: None - TBD - TBD
Strength: 3.18 (+0%)
Finesse: 4.73 (+0%)
Vitality: 2.44 (+0%)
Recovery: 2.68 (+0%)
Stamina: 3.11 (+0%)
Focus: 4.31 (+0%)
Perception: 5.28 (+0%)
Resolve: 5.97 (+0%)
[Psychic: TBD (+0%)] (Locked 18.00/30)
[TBD: TBD (+0%)] (Locked)
‘Guess this is it. There’s no going back after this… Not that I’d want to, I guess. I still can’t believe the UHF is offering to sponsor me in such a massive way… This Psyker thing better not backfire on me, like Professor Pierce was warning about,’ Thea thought to herself, as she steeled herself to finally invest her points, ultimately locking in her path towards whatever T1 Psyker class that the UHF desperately wanted to obtain information on.
‘So… all-in on Resolve and Perception it is.’
With a simple thought, Thea started investing her points into the Attributes. It worked much like she was used to from the old arcade RPG-style games, where she simply had to increment the investment one-by-one, before finally locking in her decisions.
The System dynamically updated her screen as she did so, giving Thea a good idea of what her final Attribute tally would look like, if she went ahead and confirmed the distribution.
Having invested all 16 points, she took one last look at her new Status window before confirming the selection.
[Status & Attributes]:
Thea McKay - Level 4.26 - Contribution Points: 117.55 / 440 - Unspent Attribute Points: 0 (16)
HP: 121 / 121 - Stamina: 155 / 155 - Focus: 215 / 215 - TBD - TBD
Class: None - Specialization: None - Title: None - TBD - TBD
Strength: 3.18 (+0%)
Finesse: 4.73 (+0%)
Vitality: 2.44 (+0%)
Recovery: 2.68 (+0%)
Stamina: 3.11 (+0%)
Focus: 4.31 (+0%)
Perception: 7.39 | 5.28 (+40%)
Resolve: 8.35 | 5.97 (+40%)
[Psychic: TBD (+0%)] (Locked 22.49/30)
[TBD: TBD (+0%)] (Locked)
[Would you like to confirm this distribution? Choices are irrevocable, unless Full-Profile-Reset is requested. Certain Attribute changes will potentially only come into effect over the next 6 hours.]
Taking one last, deep breath, Thea mentally confirmed her selection and she immediately felt a wave of intangible energy ripple through her body.
As she dismissed the cascading System windows and scanned her surroundings, the difference between her prior Perception and her enhanced one was starkly evident.
Every detail in her vision seemed more precise, sounds rang with amplified clarity, and she began noticing subtle characteristics previously hidden from her, such as a couple of micro-scars on Karania’s arms, that had been entirely invisible to her before, or the slight oscillation of Corvus’ eyes as he navigated the System inside his own mind.
One after another, the members of Alpha Squad emerged from their individual attribute allocations, their actions radiating a mix of stark fascination and curiosity.
Isabella examined her hands with an intense gaze, opening and closing them repeatedly as though confirming their functionality.
Desmond scrutinised his surroundings with a creased forehead, subtly moving his fingers in a series of exercises, testing his newly augmented Finesse.
Unexpectedly, Lucas resorted to a more drastic test. He snatched a fork from the nearby kitchen and upon his return, started prodding his arm, evidently gauging whether his skin had yet hardened to match his enhanced Vitality rating.
Karania, true to form, was engaged in Karania-things - primarily, jotting down observations on her data-pad at an even quicker pace than before, demonstrating the immediate benefit of her improved Finesse.
Finally, Corvus, much like Thea herself, focused on exploring the fresh nuances of his surroundings, exercising his newly amplified Perception. Although it wasn't his primary Attribute, Perception was likely the only one he would noticeably sense any major changes from at the moment, given the majority of his distribution was oriented towards Stamina and Focus.
A curious silence fell over the squad for a few minutes as they individually processed their newly enhanced Attributes.
Finally, Corvus broke the silence, "Well, that's a very strange feeling, but I can't say that I hate it. The Allbright System is incredible, isn't it? It being able to just... make us better like that, with the simple flick of a mental lever? That's, frankly, insane. And we're only getting started," his face hardened with grim determination as he spoke those words before continuing.
"We'll crush this assessment together, as Alpha Squad. We'll cement ourselves as the #1 Ace candidates, no matter what. While we don't know what exactly we're getting into yet, our current loadouts seem fairly balanced to deal with just about anything I can think of. Mission-specific equipment, we can discuss and pick up after I return with the intel from the squad leader meeting.
"For now, I think we should quickly go over what else we all think we need in terms of auxiliary equipment. Things like explosives, ammo crates, backpacks, whatever. While I doubt anyone really forgot any major things, it's better to be thorough with this stuff."
Rallied by their leader's words, Alpha Squad honed in on the minor aspects of their gear, crafting a comprehensive list that catered to the squad's diverse needs for auxiliary equipment.
The list encompassed items such as extra water canteens, a variety of utility grenades that they weren't confident would be sufficiently supplied by the UHF - flashbangs, sonic grenades, among others - an assortment of explosives, spanning from simple plastic to thermite and even a handful of plasma charges, and extra medical supplies for scenarios where Karania might already be occupied.
Karania herself suggested several combat stims from the T0 store, including a coagulant, muscle amplifier, and oxygen infuser. While she detailed their intricate biochemical functions, Thea could only grasp the basics amid the torrent of complex information.
Her understanding was more straightforward: 'Coagulant - Reduces bleeding. Useful. Muscle Amplifier - Increases power and speed but has significant drawbacks. Not for regular use, but could be a lifesaver in a crisis. Oxygen Infuser - If I happen to get my lungs ripped out again or find myself trapped underwater, this can keep me going for a few minutes. Overall, they all seem highly beneficial.'
Their planning session was abruptly interrupted by the sharp chime of Corvus’ data-pad alerting him to an emergency notice - undoubtedly the call to assemble for the squad leader meeting. Instantaneously, the atmosphere within Alpha Squad grew thick with tension, anxiety rippling through each of them.
“Well… This is it. I have to leave. If there are any further items to add to the lists, discuss among yourselves and make the additions. I don't think you need me for that. When I return, we'll review the intel and append final, mission-specific items to the list, as well as strategize about our actual mission,” Corvus directed, his body unnaturally rigid with a strained smile plastered on his face.
“You got it, Boss,” Isabella responded, flashing him a thumbs-up.
“Make sure you don't miss anything important, alright?” Desmond chimed in, the tension in his voice palpable.
The remaining members of Alpha Squad silently expressed their approval through nodding, the sense of unease in the room amplifying.
With a final burst of seeming confidence, Corvus asserted, “We can do this! Don't worry,” before rising from his seat and briskly exiting the Alpha Squad dorms.
In the wake of Corvus' departure, a heavy silence blanketed the room.
‘I’m glad I’m not the only one feeling anxious about this assessment… It feels like a lot is riding on this first one, specifically. Nobody wants to drop out of Alpha Squad, especially not this early. Any advantage we gain will compound over time, so dropping out now would be exceptionally detrimental…’ Thea thought to herself.
Seemingly unable to focus on the task at hand, after trying for a few minutes to come up with any additional items for the list, the remaining members of Alpha Squad agreed to simply wait for Corvus’ return.
To help stave off the mounting anxiety, they each sought solace in their individual pursuits.
Thea, preferring to engage her mind rather than dwell on the palpable tension, decided to immerse herself further in the technical documentation of the Gram. The complex schematics and intricate details of the weapon offered a welcome distraction from the uncertainty hanging over them.
Isabella, meanwhile, chose a more physical form of diversion. Her newly enhanced muscles twitched in anticipation as she picked up one of the barbells lying around in the training room, towards the opposite end of their prep area. The additional strength, although not fully manifested yet, offered a new experience, the weights seeming considerably lighter than before.
Desmond and Karania found comfort in the glow of their respective data-pads. Desmond poured over system messages and alerts, his eyes scanning the lines of text while he absentmindedly chewed on his thumb. Karania, on the other hand, flitted between different applications, her fingers dancing over the screen with her newly improved Finesse, making notes and cross-checking references at a speed that left Thea astounded.
The most peculiar sight, however, was Lucas, who continued his rather strange examination technique. He prodded at his skin using the same fork as before with an almost neurotic intensity, his gaze concentrated on the barely-visible indentation it made each time. He seemed entranced by the notion that his skin had grown stronger, his unique method of testing adding an element of bizarre humour to the tense atmosphere.
Each member of Alpha Squad used their chosen distractions to navigate the oppressive silence that pervaded the room, their collective anticipation mounting, as they waited for the moment when Corvus would return…