Stage 1: Houston Arc 2.9
Sunday, February 14th, 2010
We stare at each other for a bit. Rachel breaks eye contact first, bending down to rescue her cigarette.
"Um, Hi" I say as I fetch the joint off the ground.
"You bleached your hair and got beat up again?"
"Yes"
"Are you high?"
"Snoochie Boochies?"
Rachel quirks an eyebrow at me, finishes her cigarette and flicks the butt away. "Pass it." she says, holding out her hand.
I oblige and pass the joint over. "You seem unusually calm right now, given…"
She takes a long drag off the joint. "God, I've missed these."
Another moment of awkward silence passes. Did she actually notice? "Um, okay. Did you see…"
"Did I see you make a bunch of the crap you hid under the bushes disappear in a flash of light? Yeah. I've also seen weirder shit, and I am already a bit buzzed."
Secret Quest Failed: Don't get outed as a Parahuman to anyone else
"What? Really?"
"Found where the Beckett's hid some mini liquor bottles, or maybe some of the other kids did."
"Wasn't quite what I meant. How bad is it in there?"
"Bad. They're pissed. They called the cops and CPS. Mr. Beckett's out driving around looking for you right now." Rachel says as she passes the joint back to me.
"You're not gonna ask me about what-"
"About what you can do? I'm not sure if I want to know. Besides, you're bolting anyway aren't you? You don't hide a bunch of your stuff out here to fetch later if you planned to go back into the house."
"Well, I'm kinda constrained, and I can't get away to figure my stuff out…"
"So says the teenager with powers. But you are running, figures. You know it's not just you. They're just as constraining on the rest of us, and we have less options."
"I thought you didn't want to run. But if you wanted to go with—"
"What are you stupid? No way. Where are you going to sleep? You do need sleep right? What are you going to eat?"
"The stuff doesn't actually disappear, just goes somewhere for me to retrieve later, it makes, uh, 'shopping' pretty easy." I finish off the joint and pull two more and a lighter out of my inventory after making sure Rachel is the only one marked as viewing me. I light them and hand her one.
"Yeah, but it's more than that though isn't it. I knew you were weird, you learned Spanish too quick. Is the whole Amnesia thing even real?"
I sigh, "Yeah unfortunately it is fucking real. Side effect of whatever did the rest of this shit to me."
"Guess I can't blame you too much. You remember I said I had two cousins that were in the system?"
I nod and let her continue.
"One was a Parahuman. I heard that it happened from the same thing that killed his family. Parahuman minors that are wards of the state get turned over to the Protectorate Wards program. He ran when he found that out."
"What? Fuck, really?"
"You didn't know that? That's the way it is in Texas, not sure about other states, but probably similar arrangements."
"What happened to him?"
"Tried to go it alone, now he's dead."
"I'm sorry"
"Don't be. He was stupid and not anyone I was close to."
"Should I ask about your other cousin?"
"Oh his parents were just negligent meth-heads that lost custody. He was also a fuck-up so he ran away afterwards. Now he's just missing, but I hear he pops up from time to time. I think he'll be 18 in a few weeks anyway and then I guess it won't matter because CPS won't care anymore. But I don't give a shit about him either so save the 'I'm sorrys'"
"I'm sorry"
"I thought I said to sa-"
"I'm sorry that I'm leaving you with one less friend around to share dealing with the Beckett's bullshit and everything else life has thrown at you, at us. I promise I'll stay touch though, if you don't—"
"Well thanks. I wasn't going to say anything anyway. Where are you even going to go?"
"New Hampshire, as soon as I can make arrangements."
Rachel raises an eyebrow at me. "You're chasing after Julia? Does she know and is she okay with that? Because if she isn't; do you realize how creepy that's going to appear?"
"That, uh..."
"Shit, she doesn't, does she? Did she ever contact you? If she hasn't, that could be a sign you know?"
"The thought has crossed my mind, yes, but it's… more complicated than that."
"How can it be more complicated than that? Oh shit, she's one too isn't she?"
"What? No, not at all—"
"You're not near as good a liar as you think you are. Besides, the only times the breakers ever tripped in the house was when she was in the bathroom, and she doesn't use a hair dryer. Then it all stopped when she left. Unless it was you, using some pervy powers that needed the lights out, was that it?"
"No… that's not—"
"Why are you blushing so much?"
"I don't have any pervy powers" I lied.
"So it was her then wasn't it?"
"I didn't say that either! God, I am too high to deal with this…"
"I'm just messing with you. If you're gonna abandon me, then you deserve it. Besides, that weird power outage stuff happened a few times while you weren't even in the house, and at the FEMA camp."
I let out an exasperated sigh. "Now what?"
"We part ways? I go back to boring life and crappy grades and I get to find out if you actually contact me later, and you try not to get killed?"
"I guess. That doesn't seem very thematic. Oh hey..." I pull out the hollowed out Geometry book from my inventory and hand it to Rachel. "Guess I don't need this anymore. You can use it to hide your stash."
"I don't have a stash."
"You do now" I said, as I pulled out a couple more joints I had made and had planned on using later.
"Um, thanks I guess."
"Hugs?"
We embrace for a bit. "See ya round."
"Yeah, you take care of yourself. Also, get your hand off my ass before I knee you in the groin."
****
Why the hell am I still carrying this bag of clay around? I've got everything from the alley and I'm overburdened again. It's even worse than before because of the STR penalty I have due to the injuries. Why? I still want to make more golems even if they're raw clay and not fired. Sculpting some out of rock will take a lot longer.
I can't run, so if I get seen, I'm screwed. I lose stamina every minute from walking, but make it to the bus stop. Sit, meditate, rest, and make it to the MetroRail lockers to put this crap away. At least I can move now. I get some marginal gains while walking around slo-mo, but it's getting ridiculous.
I toss the IV stand, why did I take that thing? I keep the bag and stuff though and look over my corrected bandages. I guess having a specialty in First Aid isn't enough to offset my low skill level, or that Doc wouldn't have said I had done a crappy job. I need to replenish the bandages I used up and train Medicine more, but I still need to get as many specialties as I can before I do. I can't do that sitting in school, yet another reason to not go back.
I decide to go to the one place no-one will look for me at, the Library on the other side of town. They have wi-fi and computers there, plus if I keep getting quests from textbooks, maybe I can get some from other books too.
****
Your Observe skill has increased by 1
Observe is a lot easier to grind when I'm not restricted to the same basic locations and also not spending all my MP maintaining Golems. A whole library and I only got three skill quests from the stuff I perused. Well, I can't go through the whole library in a couple of hours. Damn place closes at 6pm.
I try, and miserably fail, at getting a single skill quest from most of the occult, new age magic, and other relatedly mystic sections, both fiction and 'non-fiction'. I give up and start looking for medicine stuff related to blood.
Something seems off about how my HP changed from the blood loss and after I was in the hospital. What were all of my HP changes? Take away gains from food, gains from normal regen, account for meditation, and gains from two and half hours of unconscious rest. I have more HP than can be accounted for compared to what I had last night when the bleeding stopped. Why?
Is it because of the treatment? So far, getting patched up only helped in cutting down the expiration timers of negative injury status effects. That only leaves the transfusion. I lost HP from bleeding, maybe I gain HP from having some put back? I'll have to do it again on purpose to be certain; it's a possible exploit, especially combined with time stasis inventory.
Withdraw some blood, put it in inventory, and heal up. When I need some HP later, put it back in. I have to actually learn how to draw and deliver blood to do that. Apparently that's what a Phlebotomist does, but reading about blood in a book didn't give that specialty, I get Hematology instead.
You may gain the Hematology specialty for Medicine
Well, that's something important. O-, a type shared by only about 5-6% of the population, can only receive O- blood, but can donate to anyone. That must be the whole universal donor thing. Glad I fucking learned that, and didn't try to just use any kind. Yeah no, that thought is really dumb, I don't think I would have actually done that even if I hadn't learned that about my blood type.
I'm here to get skill books though. I got those other quests from textbooks, where's that section?
It's Elementary!
Read and then successfully answer all the questionnaires in this Chemistry textbook.
Time Limit: June 1st, 2012
Success: 300 XP, Science (Chemistry) skill, +1 free specialty.
Failure: The only toxic compounds you'll be creating will come out of your ass.
The Rules of the Universe
Read and then successfully answer all the questionnaires in this Physics textbook. Know them before you break them.
Time Limit: June 1st, 2012
Success: 300 XP, Science (Physics) skill, +1 free specialty.
Failure: Physics will never be your Bitch
Can we fix it? Yes, we can!
Read and then successfully answer all the questionnaires in this Engineering textbook.
Time Limit: June 1st, 2012
Success: 300 XP, Engineering skill, +1 free specialty.
Failure: No we can't, Bob will cry.
I should feel bad for stealing those from the library, but I have no way of knowing if the quests were tied to those specific books or not.
****
The stupid books make me overburdened, so I go back to the locker. I jog about town, steal some dinner from a grocery store, and look for a place to sleep. I try a few motels, but with no credit card and no ID, that proves to be impossible. Even some of what looked like seedier places refused cash. It's getting late and I'm getting desperate.
Actually I do have a credit card and ID, they just aren't mine, and I don't think I'll convince anyone I look like Xavier. A backup plan is sleeping on the Metro-Rail repeatedly on the longest line stretches.
Step 1, buy some minor food item at the self-check-out line with Xavier's credit card to make sure it works.
Step 2, call the motel across from the star-bucks with Fredrico's phone, and bullshit them. I wonder if the Speech skill works over the phone?
"Motel 8, how can we help you?"
"Yes, I'd like to make a reservation for a family member tonight, and pay for it over the phone. Can I do that?"
"Certainly Sir, who is the reservation for?"
"Samuel Mendoza"
"And your name sir?"
"Xavier Mendoza"
"Payment method?"
"Mastercard, number is 4455 0011 1234 …"
"Okay looks like you're all set, just have Samuel come in with his ID and reference your name and we'll take care of things."
"Oh well, he had his wallet stolen so his ID isn't handy. That's the entire reason I am having to help out like this over the phone. Is that going to be a problem?"
"Oh, no problem, I'll make a note of it. Is this the best contact number to reach you at?"
"Yes it is."
"Can I get an email for the receipt?"
"Oh, I can just have Samuel pick that up, is that alright?"
"Certainly"
"Okay, great, thanks so much. He should be there within a half-hour."
Your Speech skill has increased by 1
Step 3: Get a place to stay for tonight.
****
I could always resize my interface windows; can I do that to my inventory screen? I can resize a window as far as I can stretch with some part of my body. The center of a window stays anchored a certain distance away from the front of my camera view, first, third or free. It doesn't care how I oriented it. I can flip them backwards, upside down, lay them horizontal, whatever. To maximize my inventory screen I stretch its height enough to hook my toes into the 'bottom edge' and stretch it further with my hands via the 'top edge' until it's as tall as I can reach with hands above my head while standing on my tip toes. This is just shy of 8 feet. Flip the window 90 degrees and I stretch the width the same way. Despite trying I've never got them larger than that. Maybe I could if I grow taller?
Now my inventory interface is as large as an almost 8'x8' window. Most of which is taken up by the grid squares. The item grid area, the part that matters, is inset to about just under a 5'x 7.5' of that, the rest of the window being the borders, and information panels.
I shove the hotel room night stand into my inventory, then the dresser, and desk. Hell yeah, anything that can fit inside that 5'x7.5' rectangle, can fit in my inventory. I can steal furniture, if I want to. Some small cars might even fit in that. Of course the weight would be absurd. Damn, I can't put something into my inventory that is in some way bolted to the floor or wall. Except for the idiotic encumbrance crap, my inventory gets more awesome each time I experiment with it.
I can put containers into my inventory, but I can't directly access anything inside the container without taking it out. The whole container is treated as a single item, with a weight equal to the container and the sum of whatever it's holding. I can't put living things directly into my inventory, well I can't put a living bug in there, a dead one worked fine, but I can exploit containers to get around this limitation.
Attempting to keep something half way in inventory and halfway out is very difficult. When I start to put something into inventory something starts pulling on it immediately and it gets sucked in there rather fast. Removing something from inventory will push, but not as quickly as when going in. That's awkward. Ideal removal of large things is to flip the interface screen away from me, and point it at the floor. So far, anything I remove comes out in the orientation I want it to come out in.
I'm not sure if I could put myself into the inventory, via the container trick, but I don't think I want to find out. How the fuck would I get out? I'm not sure if I can inventory something being held or worn by someone else either.
So, the idiotic encumbrance system has no effects for up to 10% of my carry weight. 'Light Encumbrance', 95% movement speed, at more than 10% and up to 30% of carry weight. 'Medium Encumbrance', 85% speed, 30% to 60% carry weight, 'Heavy Encumbrance', 70% speed, 60 – 100% carry weight and cannot sprint. 'Very Heavy', 50% speed, 100-150% carry weight, cannot sprint or run, and slow loss of stamina when I walk. 'Severe Encumbrance', 25% speed, 150-250% carry weight, walk only, significant stamina loss when walking. Above 250% carry weight I cannot move.
Yet, the stamina loss is only when I 'move' which is defined more as 'taking a step'. I can stand still feeling incredibly overburdened, and not lose stamina. Not entirely true because I can't stand with that much weight on me for that long, and trying to maneuver my body with that much on me does make me burn stamina, but also… trains my STR? And since it burns stamina also it trains CON even if the gains are crappy compared to taking HP damage.
That's what I'll do all evening and tonight. Overweigh my inventory, train STR and burn stamina to zero. Set an alarm so I sleep long enough for stamina to fill without overflow, wake up, and repeat. Oh and while I do that I'll let my golems destroy the useless fish and bat golems.
Monday, February 15th, 2010
+165 XP, How much of Bum are you? 1st night achieved
Well, training like that is weird. 20 minutes of real sleep maxes out my stamina, which I could burn off in a couple of hours. It messes up my sleep schedule but it works. I should do it again, but I have to check out at 10 am. As long as I keep my fatigue points at 40% or below I can keep doing it. I also need at least a couple solid hours to get some HP back and get rid of the fatigue penalty, so I can do everything else today, even if that's more wasted Stamina points.
I put my surviving golems into a complex patrol pattern around the room to skill grind while I get in a couple hours sleep before I leave. Somehow I lost the golem that had only a few HP left to the destruction of the useless bat and fish golem. How does that even happen? I'm down to five small ones and Moon-moon now.
I check out and sell my useless crap at a pawn shop. Xavier's card gets declined, when I tried to make another self-checkout test purchase, so there goes that resource. I head back to the Metro Rail lockers. I can try and get that Econ textbook quest finished on the train.
Except, that Econ book is still at the Beckett's house. Shit. If the quest is tied to that book, I'll lose out on 330 XP if I don't go and get it. I look through FRAPS to see if I ever video captured it to recall the exact title and author, but can't find anything. Do I want to go back there? I'd rather not. But now is the best time. Everyone is at school, Mr. Beckett is at work, and Mrs. Beckett usually runs her errands.
****
If anyone is home I abort. I stealth my way up from the alley and use Observe on the house, zero occupants. I free camera scout as much as I can. Okay, hopefully they didn't change the code, or the locks, I know where they kept a key hidden outside. Crank my volumes up to hear anything.
I slip inside, and hold my breath, but the code works. I go upstairs and grab my book. Fuck you Thomas; I take his Trig book, and some of my clothes, and some of my toiletries. Hell, I can grab some lunch from the fridge to eat later. Fuck them; fuck them for all their shit. My MP3 player is still in that safe too. Meh, that might give away too much. They might not even notice the books, a few clothes and my toothbrush and deodorant missing. Food, well, the house is filled with teenagers. I stare at the door to their pseudo-apartment. I pick the lock. There is a bit of cash on the desk. They have some jewelry in boxes, personal items, and electronics. I could strip this place. It's tempting. Do I want to be that kind of person?
I seem geared up for being a thief. A rogue in a rogue-like that is the game of life. But really as much as I hate their restrictions, they never abused me. I had food and a place to sleep and recovery from the trauma of what I went through. It isn't fair to the rest of the kids, certainly not to Rachel. I need boundaries. A code to follow, and lines I won't cross. Shoplifting at big box stores is one thing. I felt bad about stealing from the mom and pop art shop and even taking the books from the library. The Beckett's can't afford me cleaning them out, even though the big TV probably could fit in my inventory.
However, there's no sense in leaving behind unclaimed XP. Now that I have access to their computer, I hack it to give myself permissions.
+55 XP, Quest Access Granted Completed!
Good, not that I will ever need it at all. I undo the hack I just made, leave, and relock the Beckett's room.
New Title Tier Available!
Gentleman Thief
You've discovered you have a conscience and a code, yet you're about to burgle your first house. All you need to do is leave behind a calling card (and not get caught) to gain the title.
Really, this now? My power is such a god-damn troll. Fine, but I didn't exactly bring a suitable calling card with me. Fuck it, lots of ways to interpret that. I pick my way into the office and get my MP3 player out of the safe. I drop it into my inventory and upload a song to it from my interface song library. I go into the Girls room and leave it on Rachel's bed. At least she'll get it. Back downstairs, I reset the alarms and walk out the back once more. I'm beset by several notifications.
You may gain the 'Burglary' specialty for Thievery
Your Stealth skill has increased by 1
New Title Tier obtained: Gentleman Thief
You have learned a new thing about yourself: You have a conscious and a moral code (well more of a guideline really)
****
Your Mathematics skill has increased by 1
Now that I have that skill evened out again, I stop my number crunching and finish my dark chocolate coffee at some dinky shop. I review my notes. So long as my fatigue points are at 40 or less, I can take a 'nap' whenever I want. What I need is to sleep during the day in some place where it won't be out of place to see some young person snoozing. If I need to I can just stay awake during the night. I need to repeat the 20 minute nap plus two hour workout as often as I can. Library study rooms for a couple hours? Napping in a sauna/steam room at a gym? The University might suit my needs. It has libraries, gyms, young people, and no one will think a student snoozing in a study room with an open book under them will be unusual.
Until then I have some grinding to do. Right after I replace my backpack with something that also has roller wheels, and a collapsible handle. Hopefully it won't count against my encumbrance then. I'm tired of spending money on lockers.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
****
-3 HP
Your Power Strike has increased by 1
You may gain the Clubs specialty for Melee Weapons
I'm trying not to injure myself. 50 Power Strikes and several minutes later I'm out of stamina, and the fallen log I'm beating on is... not quite as damaged as I thought it would be. At least I made some progress. I pick a secluded spot amongst a copse of trees in an abandoned lot away from residential and commercial areas. Here's hoping napping propped up against a tree will work out okay.
You have slept for 20 minutes on the very uncomfortable ground, reduced regen bonus received
My alarm goes off and I check my stats and notifications. Crap, there goes that idea. The regen rate is better than being awake sure, but more inefficient than when I slept in a bed. Was comfort the important factor here or did it have to be a 'bed'? I'll try again with the sleeping bag.
You have slept for 20 minutes in a sleeping bag on the very uncomfortable ground, reduced regen bonus received.
Shit. Only a little bit better. Neither changed the rate of fatigue point regen, not even compared to using a bed. Maybe I should steal a pillow? Replace the sleeping bag with one with a larger comfort bonus? Make sure all my clothes have as much comfort bonus as I can detect with Observe?
Well this won't work. If I can't regen with my full sleep bonus I shouldn't deplete my stamina with Power Strike practice. I'll have to save this for when I have another hotel room or something. Should have done this last night damn it.
****
I meditate on the ride to the University and replenish my stamina before I stealth into the recreation center. I haven't recovered enough, but it'll have to do. I'll have to do it the slower way before heading to the library study room I reserved, to try and get better rest. With Good pacing active, maybe I can stretch out a session.
For exercising your strength to the point of extreme strain you have gained 1 STR
I'm so close to also gaining CON but can't. Have to go to my study room and nap in it for a couple hours.
You have slept for 2 hours in a chair, partial regen bonus received.
+165 XP, How much of a Bum are you? 2nd night achieved
So sleeping after sunset, even if I stay up all night, works for the quest. It's not ideal. After I burn my stamina to zero; I won't be tired enough to rest again for a while. It'll be back to studying or grinding Observe while I wait for normal regen.
****
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
Your Observe skill has increased by 1
Thank you, 24-hour IHOP. I can study my Economics book and spam Observe well past midnight. I just wish the waitress would stop asking me why I'm out so late on a school night. Time to leave, I'm burning darkness, need to get my stealthy jog on.
For testing the limits of your endurance and vitality, you have gained 1 CON
Well at least I got that done. Shit gains for stealth though. Now I'm free to spend points on CON without screwing up my Bod quest. Although, I also want to train the stats up until it's too difficult. It might be already, at least using stamina to do so. If I actually lose HP, the gain rate is much faster. As far as I can tell, Gamer's Body did something to mitigate my wounds, maybe even helped heal the nicked artery. I presume something major will get awarded when I reach level 25 and max it out. I'm tempted to spend points on it now, but I'm close to level 11, and close to leveling it on its own. To really min max training that off though, I need to use another hotel room.
Right now, I have to fetch my stuff. I can't leave lockers entirely behind yet. But now that I have 10 base STR, I should have a 100 carry once this wound heals, that will help a lot.
****
For the second time in my life I'm hiding in a dumpster. I'm gonna toss these clothes and steal new ones to replace them when I am done with this. All I can do this whole time is play the games I downloaded onto my interface. I have to hide here quietly because it's the only place close enough that let my free camera full access to the CPS office, and there is a rent-a-cop patrolling about. I just hope it isn't fucking trash day. Having my senses away from me leaves me vulnerable, but at least I have Moon-moon out and set to guard.
Stat Bonus Cheat: For playing related video games you have gained 1 WIS
Wow, I had forgotten about that. I've been playing some in an attempt to gain more Strategy skill, which has thus far failed to budge. I need to get back to an arcade and finish exploiting the hell out of that. Or steal a damn console and stuff if I have the carry capacity.
I glance at my watch again. It's a bit after 6:30 in the morning. I have been hidden in this cramped spot for an hour and a half. My free camera is firmly planted in view of the door and the alarm panel. Finally some woman approaches. I turn FRAPS on, recording as she opens the door and keys in the alarm code. Gotcha, I do another sweep of the office with my camera, but I already verified Julia's gun is still in the safe, and nothing else unusual is going on. Now, make sure the rent-a-cop is nowhere nearby when I climb out of the dumpster.
Fuck that was nasty. I run off to a secluded spot and make sure I'm not being watched and inventory swap on some clean clothes. I wash up as best I can in a fast-food bathroom, but I need a shower. I should try getting another trial pass at some gym.
I return to Wal-Mart and swipe some replacement clothes and a pillow. I need to rest somewhere soon, the fatigue points are getting really low. Not going to do it in a field again that's for sure. I do need to burn off my stamina beforehand.
You may gain the Hammers specialty for Melee Weapons
More Power Strike practice, smashing my sculpture hammer into a log in another random field, and then swap to using my knife until some city worker chases me off. Now sneak onto the Metrorail and sleep through a few loops.
****
A train worker wakes me up and kicks me off at a city terminal. At least I've refilled my stamina and a bit of fatigue, which was still under 40%. That means I can rest again later without restriction. I walk out and see a large crowd of people standing around; nearly all have 'Day laborer' as part of their class in their overhead tags. That could be a quick way to get cash.
I spam observe as I mingle among the crowd, and strike up a few Speech empowered conversations, in Spanish for the majority. According to Observe, most, but not all, are Hispanic, several are illegal aliens or refugees, some not, just various men, late teens to those in their fifties trying to make a buck.
<"… So this is your first time looking for work here?"> one of the men asks me in Spanish as we stand around.
<"Yes, haven't got many choices for income…">
<"You look so young, shouldn't you be in school?">
<"Can't afford to be in school when I could be working.">
<"Aye, aye, I understand, family got here recently?"> says the man Observe says isn't a citizen.
I shrug non-committedly, while checking an unexpected notification.
For taking chances at raw risk vs. reward, you have gained 1 LUC
Okay, that's really odd. Where the hell did that come from?
<"You'll have to be careful. Sometimes the ICE agents pretend to be contractors. Some will just have you do work and then not pay you. Some will pay you but not bring you back so make sure you have change for bus fare. Others, well, they don't want us here at all. They'll pretend also, drive you out a ways, then beat you, rob you and leave you on the side of the road somewhere. You're blonde and lighter skinned though, so that may be less of a problem for you.">
<"Not light enough to not get harassed by the cops. Thanks for the warnings. Do you have any other tips?">
A sobering conversation follows among my new found acquaintances according to my relationship sheets, about life as an immigrant day laborer or just a poor one. It doesn't take long for a truck to pull up and start fetching people; I'm initially ignored due to my scrawny size until I say I can speak English and translate. Vibes didn't warn me off, but that feature or power or whatever has been hard to gauge.
It's hard and sweaty work, and only pays $9 an hour. All of us help dig out ground for some yuppie couple to have a new giant circular driveway poured for their McMansion. I should probably try using concrete molds to make golems. Easy to get materials, easy to mass produce, and no kiln needed; just wait for them to dry.
The work is in the wealthy enclave part of town, behind gates and walls and everything. Some private neighborhood Rent-A-Cops are watching us as we work. It stunk of hypocrisy; Walls to keep out the criminals, Parahuman gangs, and undesirables, unless they need cheap labor for menial tasks, then get out. I almost feel like telling Mr. Devarow his trophy wife is fucking someone on the side according to Observe, but why step into that mess?
I quickly realize I have to use Good Pacing for this particular bit of 'training' and I at least get to replenish my stamina and some fatigue when we are allowed a 30 minute siesta under some shade. I'm glad they fed us lunch because I wasn't going to pull stuff out of thin air from my inventory.
Three more hours of work later, they drive us back and I’m $72 dollars richer and I didn't even have to steal it. I had not in fact recovered enough stamina to handle those three hours, so this resulted in more breaks, minor HP loss and negative status effects. If my calcs are correct, 25 stamina is worth 1 HP point for Gamer's Body and CON training progress. That's what it is now, who knows what it will be later.
I don't get it. Average stamina values I've seen are only a little better than mine, 320 or so compared to my current 312. But mine deplete at a much faster rate, of course they also regenerate at a much faster rate too, so maybe I shouldn't complain.
<"…Damn I need to find a place to shower"> and sleep I thought.
<"You don't have a place?"> Miguel asks, one who I had talked to the most during the job.
<"No ID no credit card. You know a motel that takes cash?">
<"Aye, aye. I know a place my family used before. They help people like us, but you have to have a cash deposit, plus whatever the room would cost now. It was a year ago that we stayed there…">
Oh thank god, I just hope the cash deposit isn't outrageous.
****
It took an hour to get to this tiny motel in the Hispanic part of the city. It's another low-end place but I can't be choosy. It has stucco walls and a ranch style architecture. Soft Latin music is playing in the lobby.
<"Does Juan Garcia still work here?"> I ask a Hispanic lady at the front desk, according to Miguel's not so subtle hint.
<"Yes but he is not here tonight.">
<"Oh. Do you still take cash for rooms?">
<"Yes, $200 dollar deposit, do you have ID?">
Shit. I’m getting a good vibe off her though so I just come out with it. <"No I don't have legal ID.">
<"That's why you asked for Juan, yes?"> I don't respond. <"It's okay I know Juan, you have the money though?"> I nod yes. <"Wait in the lobby please. I will be right with you.">
<"It is $40 per night. How many nights?">
<"One for now, maybe more if that is possible."> I pulled $240 out of my pocket and out of my inventory in a well-practiced move.
<"Room 115. You will get your deposit back when you return the key if the room is in good order. Checkout is 11 am. Maid service will not be available, so clean up after yourself.">
<"Thank you."> I notice she does not give me a receipt and puts my money in a different section than the regular register.
<"If you need short work or food I can ask if the restaurant needs any dishwashers.">
<"I'll keep that in mind, thank you again.">
"De nada"
****
I get into my room and take a well needed shower. Then set my alarm and take a short nap. I pull out Moon-Moon and give him a complex set of looping orders to grind Mana Golem also. It's time to abuse the hell out of my rest recovery rates. One 13 minute nap, later I spam Power Strike as fast as I can with my knife into my block of clay. I'm probably dulling the blade to crap, but I don't care.
You may gain the Knives specialty for Melee Weapons
I don't have any more unique melee weapons so I find a sports channel showing a boxing match and switch to punching the clay a few times, before taking a power nap again.
Your Power Strike has increased by 1
Your Unarmed Combat has increased by 1
Wait a second. No specialty gain? Not even while watching what's his name beat up what's his name on TV? God damn it. I didn't want to push unarmed or even melee weapons up too far past level 1 because I still want to exploit specialties for them while they are at low level, but I need the rapid stamina loss from Power Strike to power train Gamer's Body and CON, while I have a bed available. I guess I'll have to alternate.
Your Melee Weapons has increased by 1
I swap back to unarmed
Your Gamer's Body skill has increased by 1
Finally! Oh, my injury debuffs and their timers both decrease. Sleep, spam Power Strike, sleep, spam Power Strike, over and over until I top over 40% fatigue and can't nap anymore until it fall below it.
+165 XP, Quest Completed: How much of a Bum are you?
That happened right after the 40% mark. Question now is can I do this again? I look at my watch, it's 8:30. A few hours of study, to deplete fatigue back down, but I'll have to head out to not miss the train.
****
I grind Power Strike to burn off my stamina again, and leave everything except my golems, my bat, and my costume in the room to lighten my load, even my shoes, opting to wear my costume boots instead. I get the last train ride out and manage another nap on it before departing at the stop closest to the CPS office. I won't be able to take another one back until they open again early in the morning.
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
It's just after midnight, but I want to wait a while longer before heading to the strip mall slash office building thing. I sit in Jake's 24 hour restaurant, reviewing my FRAPS recordings of the layout of the place and the security code I captured while hiding in that dumpster. No dumpster hiding this time.
Plan A: Wait for the rent-a-cop to pass by, pick the lock on the door, put in the code, get inside, hack the computer, pick the safe, get the gun, get out. Plan B: if I can't pick the door or the security code doesn't work, smash the window, get inside, unhook the computer, shove it in inventory, see if I can get into the safe room, put whole safe in inventory, distract rent-a-cop with golems, get out. I really don't like plan B, or plan C, which is to abort the whole thing. Well it's showtime.
I leave the restaurant, turn on stealth and walk across the street to the commercial block that has the CPS office. I duck behind a fence, make a waypoint for my golems, make sure stealth says no one is watching, and inventory swap my costume on. I take a bird's eye view of my free camera and watch the rent-a-cop, timing his patrol. As soon as he passes the point, I swap modes, move out toward the building's door, lock-picks in hand and get to work.
Standard single deadbolt, I looked up online from FRAPS data. It's taking longer than I hoped, but I hear the pins slide into place with my SFX volume turned way up just before I prepare to pull out the bat.
With a satisfying click, the dead bolt turns and I slip inside the door. The low buzz of the alarm sounds but it's only the 30 second warning. I punch in the code and it stops. I twist the deadbolt shut and my watch alarm beeps once. Fuck security patrol. I get behind a cubicle, hide, and turn my free camera back on just as I watch the rent-a-cop pass by the front windows.
Shit, he's lingering, why? He shines the flashlight in the windows. Leave you asshole. I turn broadcast on again and move my camera out. I replaced my censor beep with something more useful, and whispered a swear word.
The brief sound of two alley cats fighting comes out of my camera position in the dark next to some trees. Rent-a-cop shines his light that way and walks away from the front of the building.
Good time for step two. I pull Moon-moon out of my inventory and tell him to guard the door, then find Mrs. Pearson's computer and boot it up. Crappy old windows version, this may take a while, so I flip the monitor off so the light from the screen isn't glowing. I use my free camera to verify the gun is still in the safe, it is.
My watch beeps again, and I wait as the rent-a-cop walks on by. Once he is out of sight I turn the monitor back on and dim the brightness. Hopefully Mrs. Pearson's login is still the same; otherwise I pull the hard drive. Although if the data is on a network that may not be helpful.
Fortunately it's still the same. It takes a while, and three watch beeps of the security patrol, but I get into the records and find Julia's address in New Hampshire, even her grandmother's name and contact number. I turned on fraps and screen cap the info.
Josephine Mercier
1424 Elm Street.
Brockton Bay, NH
Objective one complete, I restore the monitor setting and shut the computer down.
Configuring Windows Updates. 7% Complete. Do not turn off your computer.
Huh? Oh hell no. I forcibly turn the computer off as my watch beeps again. I wait for the security guard to pass once more and turn the computer back on. I move on to the office storage door where they keep the wheeled cabinet safe and kneel down and begin picking the lock.
With another satisfying click, I open the door and slip inside. I pull some hard drives out of the slip in racks for the server they have in here as well as the DVDs that were in the block of DVD-RWs. I was pretty sure that those are tied to the cameras. I prepare my inventory screen just in case, then sit down on the floor, and put my ear to the safe, volume still at maximum, and try my hand at cracking the thing.
It's taking entirely too long. I think I had the first number in but wasn't sure. I've already restarted six times. Then I heard a rattle and a massive thud.
Shit I roll the safe into my inventory. Oh god this is too heavy, fuck. I managed to step out the storage room door while several thump bangs happen followed by the sound of glass shattering. I turn the corner in time to see Moon-moon running out the shattered bottom panel of the front door.
GOD DAMN IT MOON-MOON!
The security guard must have touched or rattled the door. I cringe as I watch my stamina drop as I walk with undesired slowness toward the backdoor. Toward the front in the parking lot I heard a gunshot. A few more steps and a few seconds later I hear another. "Moon-Moon stop." A third gunshot as I reach and push open the back emergency door. "Moon-moon go to point A"
I see some notifications and I glance at them quickly.
Your Thievery skill has increased by 1
Moon-moon destroyed
Invalid target cannot go to point A
Shit. I need to shed weight. I pull my other golems out and send them off in a scramble pattern. I'm still overburdened, several more steps away, more stamina lost, but I make it as far as the adjacent store's dumpster and toss the drives and DVDs. Fuck me still not enough, in went my trench coat as well.
It's a 75 lb. cabinet safe according to Observe. I could have handled that, but I forgot to add the weight of the fucking contents. I crawl up a short embankment into the backside parking lot of the adjacent small office complex then have to stop because my stamina is at zero. I check my stealth, no one is looking at me and I swap off my costume. I drop my motocross torso piece. I'm only a couple tenths of a pound over now, I tossed my cup and strap and am just under my carry weight. I hear some more gunshots and another notification fires. I lost another golem, and I can hear sirens approaching.
The golems are a lost cause. I can't risk sending them to me and leading anyone to my location. I order them to attack each other, and watch as a couple more notifications indicate more are destroyed. I set the last one to attacking itself, while I recover enough stamina to walk normally again. I still can't sprint though. Well the PRT will get called, because of the Golems I'm sure. That will be something interesting for their labs to analyze. I keep my eyes to the skies and the ground, and myself in the shadows. Yep there’s a flier. "Observe" yep that's Exalt.
Name: Robert Graves
Level: ??
Alias: Exalt
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Race: Human (Parahuman)
Class: Protectorate Officer / Hero
Faction: Protectorate
STR: 16 (+0) 16
AGI: 18 (??) ??
CON: 16 (??) ??
INT: ?? (??) ??
PER: ?? (??) ??
WIS: ?? (??) ??
CHA: 16 (??) ??
LUC: ?? (??) ??
Allure: 5.0
Armor: 6.0
Speed: ?? (??) ??
Attack: ??
Dodge: ??
Health: 320/320
Stamina: 400/400
Stress: ??
H/T/F: ...
Summary Description:
Robert, known as Exalt in his Hero Identity, is the second in command of the Houston Protectorate...
Status Effects:
Mental: Conflict Seeking, ...
Physical: Chilled, ...
Currently Feeling: Diligent, Annoyed
Motivations:
Investigate Parahuman report, ...
Equipment list:
Light Ballistic and Ablative resistant armored costume,
...
I play cat and mouse with the police and the heroes combing the area, but only manage to Observe Exalt, I do hear someone mention Olympus was about as well. I make it to the IHOP down the street, and sit down.
+77 XP for evading the heroes, security and the cops
Well I guess that means it is safe to order some breakfast.
****
I chill at IHOP for an hour grinding Observe before I head to the MetroRail station. It opens at 4:30 in the morning. I head back to my Hotel room around 5am and pull the damn safe out of my inventory. I'll have to replace the stuff I ditched later. I have no idea how long it will take me to open the thing, but I'll try after I've had a little sleep.
Simon's Character Sheet:
Name: Simon Clarence Anderson
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Race: Human (Parahuman)
Class: Teenage Runaway / Thief
Faction: None
Money: $429.13
Title: Gentleman Thief
Level: 10 (99.80%)
XP: 9996
Primary Attributes
STR: 10 (-0.90) 9.10 (38.08%)
AGI: 7 (-0.75) 6.25 (55.74%)
CON: 15 (-1.05) 13.95 (49.14%)
INT: 22 (0.00) 22.00 (26.03%)
PER: 11 (0.00) 11.00 (58.30%)
WIS: 22 (0.00) 22.00 (1.19%)
CHA: 12 (0.00) 12.00 (88.49%)
LUC: 11 (0.00) 11.00 (0.00%)
Unspent Points: 26
Secondary Attributes
Health Pool: 317/382
Stamina Pool: 236/316
Mana Pool: 159/2750
Stress Pool: 440/440
Attack: 8.78
Speed: 2.71
Dodge: 10.79
Armor: 0.20
Carry: 91.00
Allure: 2.40
Status Effects
Teenage Acne: ALU -0.5
Bruises & Lacerations: STR -0.15 CON -0.3 ALU -0.1
Stab Wound (R-Upper Back): STR -0.75 AGI -0.75 CON -0.75
Skills
Max Slots: 42
Free Skill Slots: 6
Artistry: 10 (71.23%)
Athletics: 11 (50.87%)
Basic Academics: 9 (40.87%)
Computers: 10 (0.00%)
Crafting (Stone & Pottery): 10 (0.00%)
Create Mana Golem: 10 (27.36%)
Disable Device: 10 (70.54%)
Disease Resistance: 6 (52.60%)
Disguise: 1 (0.00%)
Drug & Poison Resistance: 10 (51.34%)
Empathy: 10 (22.66%)
Firearms: 1 (0.00%)
Gamer's Body: 22 (14.75%)
Gamer's Interface: MAX (0.00%)
Gamer's Mind: MAX (0.00%)
Language-English: MAX (0.00%)
Language-Spanish: MAX (0.00%)
Mathematics: 4 (0.00%)
Medicine: 2 (0.00%)
Meditation: 11 (63.01%)
Melee Weapons: 2 (0.00%)
Null Resistance: 3 (13.69%)
Observe: 14 (86.36%)
Parahuman Lore: 6 (76.56%)
Power Strike: 3 (93.26%)
Programming: 10 (0.54%)
Psychology: 5 (0.00%)
Science (Biology): 1 (53.22%)
Science (Earth): 1 (0.00%)
Speech: 9 (55.76%)
Stealth: 11 (85.45%)
Strategy: 3 (35.30%)
Thievery: 7 (0.00%)
Unarmed Combat: 2 (0.00%)
Vehicle Operations: 3 (0.00%)
Video Games: 26 (13.54%)
Unspent Skill Points: 6
Perks
Free Perk Slots: 0
Gaia's Blessing: Mana Pool and Mana Skill access
Gaia's Attunement: Elemental Affinity access
Light Sleeper: Need only 5 hours to get fully rested
Mana Reserve: Bonus MP per level increased by 25%
XP Whore: +10% Level XP
Flaws
Selective Amnesia: We had to make room for stuff in your head
A Bit of a Troll: Sometimes you just can't help yourself
Unnatural Curiosity: Can't always resist the urge to find stuff out