The top of his pod opened, and Milo simply didn't have the will to get out. He knew something was wrong, but he just didn't care. He was mentally exhausted and was having trouble forming thoughts. Finally, he summoned the energy to whisper. "Run the full medical scan, suggest treatment." The pod came further to life, taking a blood test, analyzing his breath, heart rate, skin temperature, and a dozen other tests before giving its diagnosis:
The patient is suffering from depression due to severe emotional distress and mental exhaustion. Chemical analysis of the brain indicates imbalances of glutamates, lack of endorphins, and buildup of fatigue poisons. The hypothalamus is operating at low levels. Melatonin is below critical levels.
Disclaimer: Modified nervous system adds an error possibility of +/- 23% to any diagnosis. Medical records indicate a complete lack of exposure to sunlight.
Recommended treatment: Minimum 4 hours sleep, and 4 additional hours of light activity. Two healthy meals. Vitamin supplements and ongoing medications increased. Injecting now.
"Would you like to notify the authorities of your medical emergency? This is recommended."
"No, I would not, and I made sure you couldn't send out my medical data a long time ago."
Since we cannot contact the authorities, would you like 'Advice from the Country Doctor?', an attempt to express your condition in layman's terms that will be easy for you to understand.
"What? Sure."
"Son, you look like a hundred miles of bad road stretched over three of the worst counties in Alabama. I've seen a roadkill possum with more pep in its step than you. Get your scrawny ass out of bed, get something to eat and a cup of coffee. Then sit in the sun and smell the flowers for an afternoon."
"Treatment complete. Advice given."
Milo didn't know what the hell a roadkill possum was, but it didn't sound good. He slowly got out of the pod and staggered over to his chair. Physically he was fine. Mentally he was a wreck. There was a downside to having a nervous system that let you think faster than normal. For others, it had been a hectic few days, but for Milo, it felt like weeks. He'd run so many projections and plans to try and stop first the Snake, and then the World Boss, that he was simply worn out.
The hundreds of attempts that he had made to form the Ancient Runes on Capt. Pike’s harpoon had been nerve-wracking. He had tried every way he knew, every combination, and then experimented. The process of charging the runes has taken the last of his energy.
When he had passed out in the game, his pod must have decided he needed to take a break. He agreed with it. Either they won and things were fine, or they lost and the city came crashing down and he died along with everyone else. He was too tired to care.
That last stunt had been too much for him. He'd thrown everything he had at one last chance. He thought it had worked. He'd seen the throw and the harpoon going deep into the monster. Then seen the monster jerked into the air as the engineers sent tons of rock falling downwards to lift the thing. He'd go back and check in a while. For now, he just wanted to sit and watch his screens as his systems scanned Section E for problems.
His stomach growling reminded him that he was supposed to eat. He pulled a large block of cheese from his refrigerated drawer. It was a tangy blend of cheddar and parmesan, just perfect for a small snack. An alarm went off as he started to take a bite!
All of his screens lit up, and he saw a stern-faced Milo pointing at him from all directions.
"You're eating like shit! You know you need balance in your diet. Quit being weak and use your brain!"
Sometimes Milo hated that guy. The one who was responsible and left him messages telling him to eat right. He never should have put an alarm on the cheese drawer. But ResponsibleMilo had a point. He brought out crackers, a small tin that proclaimed itself to be 100% Real substitute tuna, and a jar of peaches with almond slices. The crackers went well with the cheese, the meat tasted like food cubes, and the fruit was delicious. This was the second or third time he'd had a jar of real fruit. He liked it. He should see what other flavors that fruit came in and try some other things.
Refreshed, he went to work on some minor problems with the waste disposal system, but overall things were in good shape. He checked on his neighbors and saw that they'd had some explosions when systems had bone bad. They really needed to take better care of their machinery. He saw on his screens that they were doing the work of installing new components instead of stealing from old hab areas. That was good. Milo wanted those old areas untouched for when he needed things.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
And then his jaw dropped. Were they really adding new power systems to the roof? Both wind and solar? That was outstanding! Managing the power usage was always difficult. Every part of the habitat could use more power. If the new manager of Section H had decided to generate more power, things would be better for the habitat in general. Maybe he'd even be able to borrow back all the power they had stolen from him.
Things were looking good for a change. He could go back in the game and not worry too much. But first, he needed to sleep. Rarely was he this tired. He lay back in his chair, and snaked his tail over to the pod, connecting to it. He fell asleep in the middle of reading his notifications.
[System Notification Summary]
Failure to form a stable Runic Matrix...
Failure to form a stable Runic Matrix...
Failure to form a stable Runic Matrix...
Failure to form a stable Runic Matrix...
You have learned something....this metal resists change...
Failure to form a stable Runic Matrix...
Failure to form a stable Runic Matrix...
You need to eat some cheese...failure to eat cheese will trigger anxiety and withdrawal symptoms...
Failure to form a stable Runic Matrix...
Failure to form a stable Runic Matrix...
You have learned something...this item has a purpose, which makes it resistant to change.
This method of forming a rune has also failed...
So has this one...
And this one...
How about I just keep a count of your failures?
Failure to form a stable Runic Matrix...
Sure, let’s try 897 more ways...
Failure to form a stable Runic Matrix...Wait, that almost worked! What the hell did you do?
You have learned something! By coating this magical item with a thick layer of bone, you almost succeeded in forming ...something...
Failure to form a stable Runic Matrix... you have lost some of your bone...
You really should take a break and have some cheese!
Failure to form a stable Runic Matrix... you have lost some of your bone...
You have learned something! You must make the bone harder...thicker...
WARNING: You have taken a large amount of bone from your body; this is not recommended!
WARNING: All cheese in your body is depleted. Your body is entering severe cheese withdrawal!
WARNING: You are approaching death.
You have gained a sentient parasite...Symbiotic Partner!
You have succeeded in coating a magical harpoon in your own bone.
You have succeeded in forming multiple Ancient Runes.
You have charged a Rune of Velocity.
You have charged a Rune of Velocity. (2). Your mana is running low.
You have charged a Rune of Velocity. (3). Your mana is depleted.
You have charged a Rune of Velocity. (4). Your stamina is depleted.
Your health is badly depleted.
Your Runes of Velocity have activated! Your projectile has surpassed the speed of sound! You are deafened for 6 hours.
You have abused your body, sacrificing your bones, stamina, health, and mana to construct a magical weapon.
Actions have consequences...these effects will be permanent or temporary depending on your next actions:
Over 90% of your bone structure is missing.
Without bones, you are no longer a Bonecaster
Because you are not a Bonecaster, you have lost your connection to your Arcane Library.
Because you are not a Bonecaster, you have lost your connection to the Rune Boned Cowl.
Because you are not a Bonecaster, you have lost your connection to Shadowblight.
You are near death and unconscious.
You have been logged out of the game.
[End Summary. Try to get some sleep, you're going to need it when you get back.]