Chapter 17: Engineering A Future

The sun was barely up, but Jamie was already wide awake. His mind raced with the excitement of discovery, a sharp contrast to the slower pace he'd grown used to since their arrival in Prima. It was the first time in a long while that he felt truly in his element. Engineering—creating something from nothing—this was where he belonged. It was a far cry from his job as a bus driver on Earth, but it just felt right.

He sat in the quiet room of the workshop, an assortment of gears, wires, and metals spread out in front of him. His hands moved with purpose, connecting the pieces of his latest project. The mechanical clicks and whirs as he worked gave him a sense of satisfaction he hadn’t felt since leaving Earth. The morning light, filtering through the workshop’s high windows, cast a golden hue on the workbench, reflecting off the half-finished device he was tinkering with.

"How’s it coming along, Jamie?" called a deep, familiar voice from behind him.

Jamie turned to see Garrick Potoz, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. The seasoned Engineer was a stocky man with greying hair and sharp eyes that rarely missed a detail. Garrick wasn’t one to mince words, and when it came to mentoring, he expected nothing but the best. Still, Jamie had grown to appreciate his direct approach—no fuss, no unnecessary praise.

"It’s... coming," Jamie replied with a grin, wiping his hands on the rag beside him. "I’m still working out a few kinks, but I think I’m onto something." His voice carried a blend of excitement and determination.

Garrick strode over, eyeing the scattered parts on Jamie’s workbench with a critical gaze. "You’ve picked things up faster than anyone I’ve seen in a long time. Can't believe you already got the class node," Garrick admitted, though his tone remained gruff. "Lucky you turned up here. Engineering is in your blood."

Jamie raised an eyebrow, glancing up from his work. "My blood, huh? Yeah I've heard something like that before..." He trailed off, knowing Garrick wasn’t referring to the deeper, more mysterious meaning of “the blood” that Jamie had started to piece together since arriving in Prima. To Garrick, Jamie was just exceptionally talented.

"Well," Garrick continued, picking up one of the half-assembled gadgets Jamie had been working on. "Whatever it is, you’ve got a hell of a knack for this. Faster than most of the rookies I’ve trained, that’s for sure, and I'm not just saying that to butter your biscuit."

Jamie chuckled, but there was a note of seriousness in his response. "I guess it just... clicks, you know? It’s like my hands already know what they’re doing before I even think about it."

Garrick grunted in approval, setting the device back down. "Good. But don’t let that make you arrogant. Lots of young engineers think once they can slap a few gears together, they’re invincible. Then their machines blow up in their face 'cos they didn’t bother to check the basics. Speed can be a double-edged sword, Jamie. Go too fast, and you might miss what really matters."

Jamie’s grin widened. "Don’t worry, I’m all about the basics. Well, mostly."

Garrick gave him a sidelong look, clearly sceptical, but a faint smile tugged at his lips. "Good. Keep it that way. Now, show me what you got."

Jamie turned back to his workbench and picked up the device he’d been tinkering with all morning. It was small, compact, and designed to fold up neatly into a palm-sized tool. It wasn’t anything ground-breaking yet, but it was a start. "This is supposed to be a personal multi-tool," he explained, holding it up for Garrick to see. "It’s got interchangeable parts for different functions—cutting, prying, even lockpicking if I can get the mechanism small enough. I’m also thinking about adding some self-repairing functionality, using tiny aether crystals, but that concept is still in the early stages. I think I still need to learn a lot more about aether engineering theory."

Garrick picked up the multi-tool and rotated the automated lock picking attachment in his hand. "You’ve got too much energy running through these smaller wires," Garrick pointed to the internal components of Jamie’s unique device. "They’ll heat up faster than you can say ‘why is my hand on fire?’ You need to re-route some of that power, or this thing’ll fry itself."

"I figured more power means better performance," Jamie said, scratching the back of his head.

Garrick raised an eyebrow. "More power means a lot of things. Faster breakdown, for one. 'Efficiency' is the name of the game."

Garrick turned the tool over, examining it closely. "Aether engineering, huh? You’re thinking big already. Most engineers take years to start incorporating aether into their designs."

Jamie shrugged. "It just makes sense, doesn’t it? I mean, I've seen some of the creations you've assembled and they are far greater than the sum of their parts. Plus, I figure it could give these tools an edge, something that makes them stand out."

Garrick handed the tool back, his expression thoughtful. "You’ve got a good instinct for this. But remember, Jamie—just because you can use aether doesn’t mean you should in every project. It’s a powerful resource, but unpredictable. You’ll need to really learn how to control it properly."

Garrick continued, "You’re ambitious, Jamie, but don’t let that ambition blind you. I’ve seen engineers with promise burn out because they wanted to push the limits too fast." Garrick's eyes darkened with memory as he leaned against the table. "One of my old apprentices, Celdric, thought he was a genius with aether engineering. He tried to craft an automated kitchen knife, designed to chop food faster by embedding it with aether."

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Jamie chuckled. "A kitchen knife? How bad could it be?"

Garrick’s expression remained serious. "Bad. See, Celdric underestimated how unpredictable aether can be. He figured more aether would make the knife sharper, faster. Thought it’d revolutionise kitchens."

Jamie leaned forward, intrigued. "What happened?"

"The knife worked fine at first," Garrick continued, "But Celdric got cocky. Wanted to take it further—boosted the power beyond what the enchantments could safely handle. He thought if he just added more power, he could make it even more efficient. Cut through bones like butter."

Jamie winced as Garrick added, "Turns out, the knife wasn’t just chopping vegetables. The aether caused the enchantments to become unstable. One day, the knife started cutting on its own. It went rogue—tried to take his fingers off every time he used it. He could barely turn it off before it did some real damage."

Jamie’s eyes widened. "Wait... how?"

Garrick shook his head with a grim smile. "Aether Engineering's tricky, lad. If you don’t set the right limits, it takes on a life of its own. Aether can have memories, as you will see when you gain skills for your class. That knife thought it was supposed to chop anything in range. You don’t want your tools making decisions for you. Well, unless you plan it that way, but that's a whole other subject."

Jamie chuckled, but it was nervous now. "Okay, point taken. I’ll stick to the basics for a while."

Garrick clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Good stuff. Learn the basics, perfect the craft. The rest'll come with time."

The next few days passed in a blur for Jamie. He threw himself into his work, his hands constantly in motion as he sketched out new designs, tested prototypes, and adjusted parts that weren’t quite working. The Engineer class had come naturally to him, but now it felt like it was unlocking something deep inside—a sense of purpose and capability that he had never known back on Earth.

Every piece of metal, every gear, and every wire seemed to fall into place with an ease that surprised even him. It was as though the aether itself was guiding his hands, whispering the solutions to problems before he even knew they existed.

By the end of the third day, Jamie had crafted several working prototypes—small gadgets designed for practicality and portability. One was a collapsible toolkit, perfect for adventurers needing quick repairs on the go. Another was a simple, drone-like device that could hover a few feet off the ground and map out nearby terrain. It wasn’t anything revolutionary yet, but it was a start.

He was just putting the finishing touches on his latest project when the familiar sensation echoed through his body. Jamie froze, his hand stilling as the Experience Well within him reached capacity.

Jamie blinked in surprise, peering into his system to confirm the feeling in disbelief. "Level three already?"

He condensed the aether within his well, directing it to the same attribute nodes as his first level-up: Agility, Perception, Cognition, and Mind. He could feel them grow in size and density. He felt the rush of his attribute increase affecting his body and mind, causing shivers to go up his spine.

He sat back in his chair, wiping the sweat from his brow as he tried to process how quickly he had progressed. In the space of just a few days, he had gone from knowing next to nothing about the Engineer class to reaching Level Three. It didn’t make any sense, but at the same time, it felt perfectly natural.

Just then, the workshop door creaked open and Garrick stepped in, his eyes immediately sweeping the room. His gaze fell on the new gadgets spread out on the workbench, and his brows shot up in surprise.

"You’ve been busy, lad, Gods wept," Garrick remarked, stepping closer to inspect the devices. He picked up one of the drones, turning it over in his hands with a critical eye. "You built all this in three days?"

Jamie offered a nonchalant nod, a grin tugging at his lips. "Yeah, I guess so. It’s nothing fancy, but it gets the job done."

"Hmm, and level three?" he queried, seemingly examining Jamie's system.

"Yeah, just now, actually. How did you know?" Jamie asked with surprise.

Garrick set the drone down, his expression unreadable as he looked at Jamie. "Most people can examine the system emissions of lower levels to get a rough idea, and yours looks stronger. You’re levelling up fast, lad. Faster than anyone I’ve seen in a long time. Most Engineers take weeks to get to where you are now. You’ve done it in days. It's almost insulting."

Jamie scratched the back of his head, trying to play it cool. "I'm probably older than a lot of your previous apprentices. Perhaps the life experience is helping."

Garrick gave him a long, considering look. "That might be part of it, but this is more than just talent. You’ve got a natural aptitude for this—an instinct that most people have to work years to develop. Even that doesn't seem to do it justice. I'm almost at a loss for words to explain any of it."

Jamie leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "So, what do you think? How far can I push this? I mean, if I’m learning this fast, does that mean I can break through the usual limits?"

Garrick rubbed his chin, his eyes narrowing in thought. "It’s possible, but don’t let it fool you into thinking you’re ready for everything. We just went through that. Just because you’re picking up skills quickly doesn’t mean you’ve mastered them. Precision, patience—those are the keys to real mastery. Rushing ahead will only get you so far."

Jamie nodded, appreciating the advice. "Yeah, I get it. I just... I’m excited, you know? This is the first time in a while that I feel like I’m doing something that matters. Something I’m good at. I feel like I can change the world if I set my mind to it."

Garrick smiled faintly, a rare show of approval. "I can see that. And you’ve got the potential to do something big with it, Jamie. Just keep your head on straight, and don’t cut corners."

Jamie looked down at the gadgets scattered across the table, his mind already racing with new ideas. There was so much potential here, so much he could do and he was just scratching the surface. Where would he be a couple of years from now? He didn't know but was excited to find out.

He was no longer just "Jamie, the bus driver." Nor was he "Jamie, the lost guy in a weird world." He was "Jamie, the Engineer." And he was just getting started.

Jamie's mind flickered to his family; he knew he wasn't the only one progressing quickly—likely due to the mysterious "Blood" gift. Daniel was excelling in combat training, and Izzy... Well she made significant strides of her own.