I briefly paused in my retelling of my journey to this place, to take a moment to see how the people in my audience were feeling about my story so far.
It was… Inconclusive, as although their bodies were visible, showing that the people who comprised my audience had come from all walks of life, their faces were hidden and indistinguishable from my seat before them.
Though, I could safely guess that at least some of them were nonplussed with my storytelling up to this point. And that was fair, as after all I had rushed through the opening of my story, leaving out details that I had thought non important, but they would have liked to have heard.
But in the grand scheme of things, those details were non important. After all, although I had managed to make it out of the dimension that I had found myself in, this place was still not the home that I had left behind.
So I decided to press on with my story, and if it was needed I could always answer questions about those details after I had joined the audience. In the space of time between the end of my story, and the start of the story that would follow it.
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“What exactly do you mean ‘break things’?” I asked in return, having turned my attention away from the wound in my shoulder, and towards finding the location where the voice was coming from. “Also, how exactly are you talking to me? The only things in this tunnel are me, and the dead thing that tried to make a snack of my head.”
To answer your latter question first, I am currently talking directly to you via the stimulation of the neurons that are positioned closest to my connection wafer. I highly recommend acquiring some aug’s once we are in a safe location, to avoid straining those neurons too much.
“Aug’s?” I asked, as although the human testing for nuralink had just started, it was nowhere near ready to begin mass adoption in the general public. Also, I definitely didn’t trust putting a computer into my head. Especially not when it was made by a social media company, who ‘definitely’ knew what they were doing when it came to placing things in brains.
Augmentations, yes. A large percentage of the human population on this planet has at least AR glasses, if not aug’s, to interact with the current systems of their society. It will also allow for you to take advantage of programs that require the computing power of an Aug, as you continue your career as a Vanguard.
“I assume that a ‘Vanguard’ is the defender of humanity that you mentioned during your startup sequence?” I asked, sitting down on the ground of the tunnel. The faint dizziness from blood loss starting to creep into my consciousness, as I began removing the outermost layers of my clothes so I could get at the wound.
Yes, though they are not only humans. Any sapient species that finds itself under threat from the Antithesis will have Vanguards chosen from amongst their population, so that they will better be able to defend themselves.
Now then. Before I can answer your first, or any additional questions, I need you to authorize the purchase of a medical catalog, and 3 items from said catalog. I do not want to find out what else might break, should you reach the point where you would be unable to stop yourself from expiring. This will occur within the next 5 minutes.
“Yeah, not dying generally sounds like a wonderful idea.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Excellent, please open the boxes that appear in order, from the leftmost going to the right.
There were three soft thuds to my left, and shining the flashlight revealed three small plastic boxes, none of which had been there a couple of seconds ago. Opening the first box revealed what looked a bit like turkey baster, if you replaced the end of the baster with the spray mechanism from a can of spray on deodorant.
Emergstop. Shake once and then spray along the length of the wound. This will form a temporary replacement for your skin, both to keep the blood inside of your body, and form the necessary base required for step 2.
I followed Eris’s instructions as they were giving them, and to the letter, no questions asked. After all, emergency instructions or procedures were always written in somebody’s blood. And I knew that I was nowhere near enough trained in emergency first aid to come up with options that would improve my chances of survival, not over alien space magic.
It felt like someone was dumping salt water over the wound, as I sprayed the Emergstop over the wound. Still, I figured it was a good sign that both sides of the wound were getting the same feeling.
It meant that I probably wouldn’t have to worry too much about parts of my right arm dying from starvation of blood or oxygen.
Excellent, now there is enough Emergstop left in the can for reapplication should it be required. Such as in the case that the first wave of nano-repair bots take longer than expected to reform your missing skin, or should you reopen the wound by moving too much.
Now then, open box 2, and apply the patch found within on your right arm, as close to your shoulder as possible. This contains the first wave of the nano-repair bots. Not only will they rebuild your natural skin, they will also close the worst offenders causing what is now internal bleeding, in preparation for the main wave of nano-repair bots to arrive.
It was a strange feeling, having the bots enter my body after having applied the patch. A bit like having someone take a feather duster over your skin.
Just on the inside of it.
Box number three please, this contains a blood transfusion kit, combined with the main group of repair bots. Do not attempt to lift the box, the tubing inside is long enough to reach your arm with slack left over.
Box number three was opened, revealing what looked like a large IV bag, attached to a small motor. At the end of the tubing was what looked like one of the bracelets that hospitals give to patients, with the track along what I assumed was the inside facing.
Please place the bracelet on your wrist. Don’t worry about attempting to close the bracelet, it will automatically do this. There will be a prick once the bracelet finds the best vein to use.
The bracelet was attached with a soft click, followed by a whir, as it found the correct vein. Then it was just a quick pricking feeling, and the hum of the motor in the box engaging as the mixture headed into my arm.
The blood contains enough minerals and nutrients to allow for the main group of bots to repair the bones in your shoulder, along with reattaching your arteries, and some of your missing muscle mass.
“So, is it normal for every wound to require 3 separate purchases to fix?” I asked Eris, now that the immediate work required to stabilize myself was done.
No, normally the procedure would have been to order a Woundstop, the far longer lasting, and more durable version of the Emergstop you used. Then I would have directed you towards the nearest shelter, where depending upon the condition of the incision, and the amount of points that you had, would enable me to plan your treatment.
However due to the unique circumstances of your situation, combined with the fact that there is no known safe shelter easily available to, lead to the treatment plan that we have just undertaken.
“Points?”
Shall be explained soon, however I would ask that you retrieve your phone from your pocket, and open the VAN app that has been installed. This will enable me to start answering your first question, as well as explaining points, and how they are awarded.
“Wait, you hacked my phone?” I asked, as I was going through the process to unlock it.
Yes, but only so far as to install the app, and to ensure that I would be able to maintain communication between myself and the app.
“Fine,” I sighed. “So long as you didn’t go mucking around too much. There’s some reading material on there that is basically impossible to find, and I would prefer not to lose it.”
The books are fine, please open the app.
Sighing softly again, I opened the VAN app. Greeting me upon opening the app was a black screen that soon started to fill in with blockly, red lettered words.
TOTAL POINTS: ERROR
TOTAL TOKENS: ERROR
That, is what you have broken, though I would hope not through any intentional actions on your part.