*******
NAME: JOHN LEWIS
ASPECT: TECHNOLOGIST
CLASS: [INITIATE]
STATS
[LOCKED]
PERKS
[LOCKED]
*******
NAME: QUINCY GORDENSON
ASPECT: ANARCHIST
CLASS: [NON-COMBATANT]
STATS
[LOCKED]
PERKS
CIVILIAN
- Monsters are less likely to notice you when presented with an threat
*****
John and Quincy both looked at their STATUS and glanced at each other, then they spoke in Unison.
“What the Fuck?”
“I have the Initiate class, but everything is Locked?” John said with a Whine
“You think that’s bad? I’m a Non-Combatant” Quincy Scoffed as he gestured to his Muscular Physique.
Both of them huddled in a Stall and wrote out what they saw on their STATUS and tried to figure out what it all meant. They sat together until the Daylight started fading from view and they couldn’t see the Notebook clearly anymore.
“So, here’s how our situation is” Stated Quincy “I’m a Non-Combatant apparently, I have a skill that makes Monsters less likely to notice me IF, and this is a big if, there is something else to distract them.
That mean’s two things, one, I likely cannot help much in a fight without Major Repercussions, and two… there’s definitely Monsters about.”
John sat there dejectedly, head held in his hands as he tried to see the notebook in the Darkness. He looked up at Quincy, barely able to see him in the Moonlight and his tiredness was plain in his voice.
“I don’t even know where to begin, it’s not like there’s a prompt on what to do now. What do you want to bet that when the sun rises tomorrow most of the urban structures are going to be torn down by plants? You know that they made me read the book on Urban Abandonment and what happens when cities are abandoned. First, it’s the Plants, then the Animals, or in this Case Monsters.” John sighed and continued “Did you forget that half the people in here VANISHED? They got snapped out of existence, and we were too high on the System to notice? I’m still feeling it, feeling that Icy chill inside me, doing things.”
They both sighed then, and slumped in the Booth they were using for their planning session.
“I expect things will be clearer tomorrow, whatever the System is doing should be finished by then and we will know what’s going on by then. The local Authorities should have figured things out by then too, maybe we will have power too, who knows.” Quincy groaned and stretched his back as he crawled out of the Booth “Here, there’s a back room where we can sleep, it’s got blankets and everything. It should be safe, used to be a Walk in Freezer so its reinforced.”
John followed Quincy to the room, finding a well-stocked Panic Shelter complete with two Bunks and what looked like years of food. Raising an Eyebrow at Quincy’s sheepish face, they tried to light up the room in the darkness, eventually managing to scrounge a lantern that lit the room in a weak light before Quincy sealed the door so they could sleep.
John lay there, staring at the ceiling until Quincy’s snores started filling the room. Turning over he blew out the Lantern and then stared into the Darkness, trying to figure out how he would fit into the new reality.
***OVERSEER STATION X-33A74X IN ORBIT OVER EARTH***
WARNING – THERMAL COOLING NEARING MAX CAPACITY
ENGAGE EMERGENCY COOLING SYSTEMS
What is the Cause of the Thermal Overload
RESPONSE – COMPUTATIONAL SYSTEMS STRUGGLING DUE TO DATA OVERLOAD
Cause of the Data Overload?
RESPONSE – INITIALIZATION SYSTEM OVERLOADED DUE TO HIGH USE
ESTIMATED 3 TERRAN DAYS TO PLANETARY BRIEF COMPLETION
QUERY – ALLOCATE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR COMPLETION?
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Confirmed, allocate 50% of unused capacity until Crisis averted, send Report to Administrator
CONFIRMATION – 50% CAPACITY ALLOCATED FROM
TRADE MONITIRING SYSTEM
DUNGEON GENERATION
ENVOY SYSTEMS
.
..
…
THERMAL COOLANT SATISFACTORY
ESTIMATED COMPLETION 6 TERRAN HOURS
CRISIS REPORT UPLOADED TO ADMINISTRATION NET
Query, Planet Status?
RESPONSE – PLANET STATUS
PLANET DESIGNATION : EARTH
PLANET CODE : 4561727468
PLANET RANKING : UNDESIGNATED
PLANET ASPECT : UNDESIGNATED
POPULATION : 3,543,424,345
THREAT LEVEL : RISING
STATUS : BLOCKADED, AWAITING JUDGMENT
Query, Available Assets?
RESPONSE – ASSIGNED ASSETS FOR DUTY
5X DRONE STRIKE SQUADS
2000X STERILE CORES [IN STASIS]
DIPLOMAT “Jinngle Berries”
DIPLOMAT “O’ve Stronghammer”
COMMUNICATION LINK ACCESS
Query, Establish Commlink with Manasworn Station
REPONSE – INITIATIONG COMMLINK
REMINDER – OVERSEER IS NOT TO ENGAGE IN DIRECT WARFARE
REMINDER – THAT INCLUDES PHYSIC ATTACKS AS PER “Gold Leaf Valley Accords”
“Greetings follower of the Circuit Path, I am Navosh, Disciple of the Thrice Born Court. To whom do I have the Displeasure of working against this Cycle?”
The Overseer rubbed its eyes, even if it hadn’t had to in centuries it was an habit it had never removed.
“Greeting Follower of Fallen Gods, I am Quark, Centennial Overseer, I have been activated to engage in Diplomacy with you. As per System Regulation, I must confirm your vow to not engage in Direct warfare, to enforce the Stellar System Blockade, and the accept the ruling of the Planet.”
The being on the other side of the screen, what could only have been described as a zombie elf to the people on the Planet, harrumphed at the direct question. Rolling its eyes, it spoke “I, Navosh, do affirm my Vow to the System, that in return for my acting as Cycle Overseer, to not Engage in Direct Warfare with the Technologist Aspect Faction, To Enforce the Stellar Blockade, and to Accept the Rulings of my designated Planet. There, are you satisfied? Really, we are both to old for this kind of Petty Mistrust.”
Quark shook its head, the faint sound of actuators whirring as it did. “We both know the Penalty upon violating these Vows, and we know the Procedure the System Enforces. As the Manasworn faction attempts to lawyer 58% of the time the system currently requires your Overseers to reaffirm their vows in hopes that you shall not attempt to bypass them. If you have a complaint, please take it up with the Local Administrator. End Communication”
The Display shut off, then flashed back into a live view of the Earth from the Station. Quark extended a hand, noticing how slow its systems were running after being in Stasis for so long.
Staring at the view of the Earth it spoke to itself, “Three Millennia since last a planet with this much development was introduced to the System.” It scoffed “As if we would need to cheat here, we already have such an Advantage with their level of technology. However, who knows how this will go, as they say here, never count your chickens until they hatch…”
Request, Require Maintenance on Overseer Avatar Systems
CONFIRMED – MAINTENANCE WILL BE PERFORMED TO RETURN AVATAR TO 100% FUNCTION
The Overseer nodded, soon it would be able to show these Primitives what True Technology looked like. A thought came to it then, a nagging data stream, and it quickly sent of another request to the Station AMI.
Query, Search Database for all files, include scanned files from Terran “Internet”
CONFIRMED – INITIATING DATABASE SEARCH, INPUT TARGET PARAMETER
Look for… Chickens?