After escaping from the behemoth with surprising result of the ion engine we were well on our way out of the planet. The lack of an atmospheres made it easy for us to leave the planet without having to deal with much resistance.
Once we were a great deal up i activated the navigation system. A screen showing a blue ball which was the planet and my 6 ships as small red triangles. I then ordered for the ships AI to search for the satellite which is stationed right at the entrance of the tunnel we made with the carrier.
A few seconds after the ship began a widespread scan it picked up the location and pinpointed it. It was a bit far from the us maybe an hours flight so not to waste time and fuel we punch it and fly towards the location.
I'll just say this real quick but flying a ship in space and flying a ship near a planet are two completely different things. For one you don't worry about just the 360 turning and stuff. You think about a grid on a blueprint you have an x and y axis. That is also used for ships near the planet because there is natural gravity the ship is usually parallel to the planet. In space you need to include a third axis to the picture and makes it incredibly much harder to fly.
For us, who became used to the gravity of the planet, it was hard to get used to the zero G of space again and we had to relearn how to handle it. One of the fighter pilots lost control, seems i wasn't the only one to lost my space touch. He continued spinning for a bit before he started to counter the inertia slowly straightening the ship.
It took 3 hours for us to regain our sense of direction in the vacuum of space and another 3 to finally reach the satellite because we flew at half the speed we had intended. (he wanted to go at full speed.)
As we neared the satellite i saw something very interesting. First it was my first time seeing the huge satellite that connected the planet to space. Two giant antenna at each end connected by a long oval body that had many smaller antenna pointed at random directions. What was interesting was what was attached to it. Holding onto the slowly rotating satellite was a large metal circle. It was about 100 meters away from the satellites body. At the end was a large circular body that looked around 15 meters wide and also circular. As we approached a contact signal came from the strange structure.
Noah: hello this is BR545
??? : hello you must be Noah this is docking bay command center.
Noah: by docking bay it would be that circular structure around the satellite?
??? : exactly this was built after we began mining the deeper layers. The fourth satellite and eighth which is this one have a docking bay to purchase the ores and golem bodies collected.
Noah: why golem bodies?
???: thats because the golem that remained in the layers from 4th to 7th all have large amounts of minerals in their bodies which compare them to the ores mined. Some miners are even making their living by hunting the nearly unlimited number of golem in these deeper layers.
Basil: seems hunting monsters for money from fantasy games has followed us into the sci-fi as well.
Noah: i know what you mean. Permission to dock our ships and refuel.
???: permission granted dock 7 will be extending a larger platform to land all your ships.
As the connection cut the AI pinpointed the dock. I saw a large hangar door open up and inside was the dock with a big 7 on it. We landed after a bit, we were still having a bit of trouble with the control of the ship but from trial and error my skill in small ship piloting grew really well reached level 7 quickly as we relearned how to travel in space while controlling the ship.
The fuel was more for the power generator then the engine since it ionizes the particles within the engine and thrusters to create thrust. Once full we quickly left this time truly at full speed.
The tunnel we made was monitored by simple drones that would it asteroids to keep the path clear of obstacles. I was surprised to see so much activity in this area of the asteroid fields. No a single mining operations but a lot of gunfire. Seems it wasn't a lie that Golems were hunted down like rabbits in a fantasy game. To be fair i had paid little attention to space after i landed since i was technically cut off originally so until now i was in the dark about how it was up here.
Thank to the tunnel we made great time in travel. Its like a clean paved road so we could travel at high speeds unlike you would normally be able to do in an asteroid field. We reached the station in a record time of half a day. Seems the area around the tunnel had been cleaned out of golems so none attacked it.
After getting permission we were landing when i saw a group of men approach towards us. In it was Mr. Cane, Marcus and two other men that looked to hold high authority.
As i turned off the ship as did my fighter crew the group approached and we left the ship removing the helmets to our power suits.
Noah: hello Mr. Cane and Marcus how are things
Mores: fantastic since you cleared some of that asteroid field up, the miners have been mining in quite a unique method these days with those monsters out there.
Noah: i noticed coming here.
???: *cough cough*
Mores: ah yes his man here is commander of the escort warship Blutopfer, Commander Samuel Davis, and the man behind him is the Liberation freighter trade ship Captain Glen Walls.
The captain held an air of a refined man of power and wisdom in the art of space combat. On the other hand Captain Walls was different, he was a plump terran that gave off the air of a nobleman but still something that says he wasn't born into nobility, he held himself with pride when he was called showing he likes being called by his title which he most likely fought hard to earn.
i give a small bow to the two men.
Noah: its a pleasure to meet you both, i would like to thank you Commander for the trade of technology for those cores.
Samuel: its nothing, it seems more important to you then to us, i've been staying here watching the progress of the base, im impressed at how creative you and your crew are to keep thinking up new ways to use your limited amount of technology.
Glen: yes i am just as curious about that especially those drones you have, drones up to this point have only been used for scanning operations for miners but the way you use them is quite interesting. I’m sure if you had a powerful AI in that station you wouldn't even have to control them.
Noah: yes but technology such as that is currently beyond us both because of materials and funds in general which is one of the things i wish to take with you about sir. can we got somewhere we can't talk and um...there is the matter of…
Mores: your reward for saving the base and the men, yes i already prepared quite a few things. Marcus bring the Warp Drive cable and load it aboard Noah's Dingy it should fit even with the support system also bring me the wright of ownership for the base as well as the one for the planet itself.
Marcus: wait sir you're giving him it all?!
Mores: of course. he has proven he can lead and survive even with little for himself and also he is the main head of the base currently as well as you already know someone who is research a large amount of technology that can improve production.
I was slack jawed and so was my crew that came along. I couldn't really believe I was going to be given total control of a whole planet and one so mineral rich as this its like hitting a jackpot over and over again, though there was the golem problem but that will soon be resolved. Come to think of it i did complete quite a few high level quests from the start so a planet as a prize may be understandable.
Noah: wait...don't i already own the base? i became owner after i saved the miners there from themselves
Mores: you became the owner in word i hold the wright of ownership of both and now they are yours, you earned the base after you saved the workers there, the cable you deserve it by freeing the asteroid field from the golems and last the planet itself you gained by fulfilling my original request by going down there and getting the base running and contact us in space.
You have gained the complete ownership of the base on Kelha II please give it a name.
You may now access the bases Leader interface of the base and command all work from there.
This option can always be accessed from your wrist-comp's interface and your power suits HUB.
A new option named “City Management” and “Planet Management” has been added and you can direct work and purchase upgrades from long distance
You have gained the complete ownership of the planet Kelha II. Owning a planet it hard work but is the start of an empire if you wish. The planet is currently under the power of the liberation but as a freelance miner (player) you are not obliged to follow their orders since its under private ownership.
You are the first player to gain control of a planet.
Fame +2000
For being the first to conquer a planet by using any method you have gained a title “First Conqueror”
+20 leadership
+10 charisma
You have gained a new skill
Conquerors Aura(passive)
Because you are a man that can conqueror planets you give off the feeling of someone powerful who can command men with powerful resolve through battle against nature, your own kind and even the vastness of space itself.
Makes NPC look at you with respect for your accomplishments or in fear for your crimes.
+10 charisma
Because of your rise in fame and your great accomplishment the Kelha Solar system has drawn the attention of all the players for have the first player own a planet.
Beware besides being miners there are already pirate clans that might also be interested in your land. It is advised to build defensive buildings around your planet
I was completely awestruck, first because i gained an entire planet, second because i was first to do so, my thoughts were that someone might have already done so, and third because of the warning. So now i need to worry about other players now. I could only stare at the screens.
While i worry about my problem, throughout the galaxy of The Nebula everyone was getting the same message.
The first player has risen and earned the right to command a planet of his own. The first step to step on the planet after years and the first to command it with an iron fist he has taken the step of an emperor of the stars. With great charisma he has started on his path. Those who fight against the planet itself are the only that can earn their ruler-ship. Only war can follow those thirsty for power but only those who are smart can truly rule.
This message appeared for all players whether they were poor, rich, a fighter or a mechanic they were lazing around or fighting a war it didn't matter at the same moment the news of the first player own planet had traveled the galaxy and lit the flames of greed of many power hungry guild and the curiosity of other less aggressive guilds that hide in the shadows of today's society.
As the message vanish wars that were going on completely stopped. The prospect of obtaining a personal planet had never crossed the mind many players. This was the start of what was to be known as the Age of Chaos throughout the galaxy where only the most powerful will rein and the great powers will fall at the hands of their own men for fame.
Noah POV
I could only sigh as the ownership forms were passed. after that we headed to the conference room and we had a large talk about a contract i wanted to make. My plan was the convert the carrier into a freighter and with the warp drive running we could jump to the station without worrying about the giant worms. This way we could start making large profit and start mass improvements to the base like purchasing more materials for drones and weapons as well as defensive weaponry that i think i would now need. i also need more men on the planet, specifically NPC who i could trust more than players since i was sure there would be power hungry idiots here already.
The contract was quite easy to make. considering the size of the current cargo hold which could hold 64 tons of cargo if the ship was converted and the hanger was turned into part of the cargo it could easily turn into around 150+ tons of cargo the size of the cargo was half as high as the hanger and only ⅓ as long so thinking of the size it could carry a tremendous amount of cargo if set up correctly a single cargo of iron could set the factories of the station to work for at least a week easily. If i had my men make tons of Drill drones we could mine out a lot more then the current 4 mining tanks we have digging to supply the base.
As i thought of ideas for production to increase i laughed a bit at how much we have been depending on the drones. I learned from the captains that drones are a poorly developed technology that is only used for scanning or repairing ships. So currently i have the monopoly for drone technology. If i learned about more technology than i could easily begin a very successful mining company with the drones or arms dealer with the shield and laser drone.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
The contract also stated that the station would produce important parts they need for the water turbines i needed for a part of the cargo as pay. Once they were built the pay would turn to normal credits. After finally concluding the contract I began talking with the trading ship captain. It seems he was highly interested in my drone technology saying that it was a gold mine that was still growing. He wanted to make a contract with me to allow a personal team of researchers go down and develop the tech and improve on the designs we had made, we would improve our machines and he would have access to the tech.
This contract was a lot harder to make than the one with Mr. Mores. But in the end i agreed but only if the tech was schematics were kept secret and any drones that he developed himself would also be shared. This was signed by Mr. Mores and Commander Davis as well since they would have access. this contract also involved all the men working under them. Why did i take such precaution to hide my drones? Easy they make life much easier and are take my men out of danger in combat and dangerous mining operations where the tunnels could collapse at any moment.
There had always been worry about safety of workers so it wasn't unusual that a merchant with a good eye for tech would notice this gold mine. To my surprise there was even a technology to block scanning the drones so that others couldn't scan and take the tech for themselves. I only smirked discovering this. it seemed to be a type of secret tech of high level tech or new tech that wants to be privatized.
At the end of all this i made two very favorable contracts and was thoroughly exhausted so Mr. mores lent me and my crew some rooms.
Getting out of my capsule i stiffly left and climbed upstairs. I've become almost a recluse since i started playing but i at least stop for necessities and its currently 8 in the morning so the sun was shining already as i climbed the stairs i hear dad talking on the phone with someone excitedly.
Dad: oh right...yes...definitely i will take him there for it...yes no problem… don't worry.
He hangs up after that. i was looking at him while tilting my head at his big grin.
Dad: get ready son for your big debut on TV
Noah: eh…
Dad: whats with that face come on. Malcolm called me just now, he personally called me and asked if you could be an a special talk show with him and a few promising players. This also would have them showing a few scenes from your video feed but he knows discretion since he was a player himself during his time.
Noah: w-wait wait, what's going on why the hell do i need to go on TV
Dad: easy because an old friend wants one of the top players with him while he suffers through the tortures of having to face the crowd with that annoying fake business smile he always makes.
I just stood their with my mouth open as dad passed me and headed into the kitchen and began making coffee.
Dad: by the way we are going to meet him after breakfast. He wants to get to know you a bit and he wants to see me as well been too long since we talked and he has been watching us since we started.
Noah: why watching us specifically?
Dad: you were the first person on Kelha to fly but you were the 5th in the galaxy all five of you are the leading players but you're the only one that has advanced at the fastest speed. I think its thanks to all the research you're doing with the drones that has led to our speed in developing the base but who knows. Anyway get over here and start eating we can't keep my old friend waiting he is sending a car to pick us up.
I reluctantly moved to the table and began eating a basic sandwich. As we ate we heard a car stop at the door and soon after someone knocked on the door. Dad got up with a smile and walked to the door. I tilted myself in my chair to see who it was. The man at the door could best be compared to an old butler you would see in an old Japanese anime. He was well built for his age with a grey mustache and already white hair. His demeanor was that of a refined gentleman that held himself like a noble.
Dad: Oh Wilson how are you its been years.
Wilson: ah Noland its has been years
Dad: please come in we were just eating before we got ready to go meet Malcolm.
Wilson: Master Malcolm has been in a very good mood ever since you both went down to the planet. You know you, your son and that miss Jessica are the only ones that grouped up after they gained their anomalies this might also be another reason why you two advanced so fast.
Dad: please come in we are just going to get ready. NOAH GO TAKE A BATH YOU STINK FROM BEING INSIDE THE CAPSULE SO LONG.
Noah: don't yell something like that dad. I'm going anyway i need to use the bathroom.
I sighed deeply and walked upstairs before getting ready. A long bath that i hadn't had in a while and all other necessities and i was finally ready.
Seeing myself in the mirror I was a bit shocked when i noticed my hair had grown so long, it was down to my shoulders already. I spent about 13-16 hours every day in game and only stop to eat sleep and do a some exercise, though i didn't need to since one function of the capsules was to stimulate the muscles. Now i had shoulder length brown hair which seemed to make my blue eyes shine a bit more then normal.
Dressed in a newish pair of jeans and a simple green shirt that i use for visits. The car that Wilson arrived in is a Jaguar XF, quite an old model but the luxury behind it is told class.
We both enter, me in the back while dad and Wilson in the front with Wilson driving, obviously. The interior is just as luxurious as the outside. White leather with the corners in black leather. In the back there is a tray board that can be lifted up and even a TV in the back for each person. It screamed rich in every sense.
The ride took around an hour, the play we were going was outside of our London where we live. Traveling around outside of town wasn't something that we did often. because virtual reality became so popular, after travel agencies got their hands on that tech they began making marvels of places for traveling so we never really left our town and saw the real world country side.
Nearing the end of the trip we could see a huge mansion off the side of the road. Wilson turned towards that road and stopped at a huge 4 meter high steel bar gate which had armed guards at the front. If i compared it to the white house in the States then i would say that this place was much more heavily guarded. To say that the men here were elite was an understatement.
After a bit they checked all our ID’s and history as well as under the care with some dogs before finally letting us through. Getting out of the car after reaching the house, i couldn't help but scowl at the size.
A full five floors and the house was at least 80 meters long and 40 meters wide. From what i know about large houses this one is much larger than the white house about a few good meters. All around there are workers either cutting bushes or cleaning. most of the women are dressed as maids like in anime while the men are in tux which are probably butlers, which are pretty much the same thing as maids but just men.
We enter from the front and are asked to wait a bit.
Dad: hmm he sure has changed quite a few pieces but i can still see he loves the old wood art.
Noah: ...you're not at least a bit surprised about the size
Dad: I've been here plenty of times when i was your age when i played with Malcolm, never cared about his money which was one of the things he liked about me.
Wilson: Noland, Master Malcolm is here.
When we looked at the butler there was a refined man in his late forties with black and grey hair and an above average build, probably from training some form of martial arts or something.
Dad: hahaha Malcolm you old fart you've grown old
dad goes up and bear hugs the most influential man in the world like he was his brother.
Malcolm: i...see you...haven't changed...please let me breath.
Dad: haha sorry there
Dad let him go and began laughing.
Malcolm: even after all these years you still do stupid stuff like that
Dad: come on what fun would it be if i became like you, we need to balance things out.
Noah: pff
i was barely holding my laugh in. I had seen Malcolm Brim on TV hundreds of times like watching some superhero and also heard many stories about him from dad about his achievement when he was making his class. All of that inspired me while i waited for my shot after i turned 18. Now my great hero was here being pushed around by my dad like some classmate in school i could barely hold back.
Malcolm: so this is your son, he really looks like you but he definitely has his mothers eyes. i always did like that shade of navy blue.
Dad: haha great men think alike i guess.
He comes up and sticks his hand out which i shake.
Malcolm: ever since i planned to release this game i searched up your address to watch both of you, I'm quite impressed at your resourcefulness, that and how you can manage to get this old man to work for you as well as my daughter.
Noah: he...your daughter...who?
He smirks menacingly and turns his head towards the large staircase after letting my hand go.
Malcolm: sweetie please come down already.
???: b-but he w-will treat me differently.
A familiar voice came down from the stairs though nobody appeared from them. A sense of dread was slowly starting to pressure me after seeing him smile like that and hearing that voice.
Malcolm: come down now or i won't let you play!
???: urg...fine. But if he start acting differently after this i wont forgive you.
Coming down the stairs was a young woman with long black hair and piercing black eyes. She was a few centimeters shorter around 170 and was dressed in a knee long black dress. As she looked at us she fidgeted a bit, as i looked a bit i could feel i had met here somewhere.
Malcolm: sweetie introduce yourself and that includes your character name
she blushed but looked with an angry glare at her father as he said that.
???: I'm Sophia Brim nice to meet you, I'm...Jessica in The Nebula.
My mouth dropped when she said that. I could also connect the dots as i felt i looked at her. she only changed the color of her hair but it made a huge difference.
Malcolm and dad both started laughing after seeing my reaction.
Noah: what's so funny and why aren't you shocked dad?!
Dad: your reaction is priceless and i already knew she was his daughter so there wasn't much to hide.
I was glaring daggers at dad when he said that the same way Sophia was doing at her own father.
Malcolm: you know they are almost perfect for each other, the feeling of their glares are almost alike to
Dad: haha i cant agree more.
We both of us turned deep red hearing that and Sophia quickly ran off while i just stood there.
Malcolm: i guess i said too much.
Noah: you think.
i retorted without even thinking of who i was talking to because i was embarrassed.
Malcolm: i guess this is good enough for laughs today. let get to business. I'm sure your father has told you about why i brought you here.
Noah: ya you want to take me to an interview so that you don't suffer by yourself.
he sent a quick look towards dad who was grinning.
Malcolm: i guess you father can still translate my words just as good as he did before. Anyway yes i need you to come there will also be 4 other people with us. Pretty much the top five players currently playing, this is to let you release some info to speed things up in the game.
Noah: ...why?
Malcolm: *sigh* unfortunately most of the players are dull idiots and are only following in the shadow of others so a few who are smart and learn the tech of a higher ranked person before going there own way can take things a long way but you do a lot more you create your own tech.
Noah: but who says i want to release info.
Malcolm: you don't need to at least not much.
Noah: ...when is it?
Malcolm: tomorrow.
I just sat looking at him.
Noah: what would you have done if i didn't accept it
Malcolm: i would have the AI delete your account.
Noah: *sigh* I'm sure you cant do that, the AI works independently and will only delete someone if someone breaks a law or does something atrocious in game.
Malcolm: its called a master key which i inherited for my father.
i just let my head hang hearing him. I experienced this once from dad, guess now i know the source of his threatening ability.
Noah: whatever, so what do i need to talk about.
Malcolm: don't know the host will ask but at least i know you will come, the show will be in London tomorrow and Wilson will go pick you up in the morning it will be after noon when the show starts so get ready.
He grins like its his victory and starts talking with dad leaving me out. i just sigh and on the corner of my eye i see Sophia glaring at her father and looking over at me while hiding.
Noah: ”and here i idolized the guy *sigh* guess its true, you can never judge a book by his cover”
Previous ChapterMain PageNext Chapter
--------------------------
Hey everyone here is the next chapter hope you like it and feed back is well appreciated.
As you guys can see i started asking for donations, things are in the red for me and my family so i was hoping for support, prices rise but salaries don't so things aren't really good around here. Hope for the support of you guys and hope you like my chapters.