Now, let me just be clear that I really do appreciate people trying to talk about themselves and their past since I know that they think it is a way of sharing who they are. I realize that is how other people think about it and their intention. That way of looking at things, however, just doesn't make sense to me. Who you are now is what matters, and what happened before doesn't always factor into that.

Let me explain with an example. Lets pretend that someone experienced a level of physical abuse as a young child. What does that tell us about the person as an adult? Essentially nothing. They could have taken that experience and become an abuser themselves, or decided to dedicate their life to preventing abuse, or they could have decided to put that experience behind them and not let it dictate their life going forward. Even the adult turned abuser won't necessarily see themselves as bad, at worst they will think that this is just how things are and they may even think they are doing something like trying to strengthen the next generation. Similarly the person who wants to prevent the abuse might do something to actually help or they might become a zealot who causes more societal harm than the abuser, who ends up hurting only one person at a time. Or, you know, it could have no real effect at all or the person could only think it has no effect on their adult life.

All that to say, learning about people's past doesn't impress me. I know they are trying to reach out when they do it, but trying to do something meaningful and succeeding aren't the same thing.

What does tell me a lot about a person is how they are right now. What do they spend their time doing? Where do they spend their resources? What type of talents and other capabilities do they have and maintain? The uncertainty of self perception and such fall away when confronted by those facts of reality. And, as people develop their own attitudes and ways of doing things, they end up developing in a way that supports those aspects of themselves. Skills reflect their talents and attitudes; as does their time, money, friendships, and everything else about them. Maybe there are some super spy people out there for whom this doesn't apply, but even that would come at a cost and isn't something you usually have to worry about in real life. Maybe I'll meet someone who breaks the rule at some point, but even then I would still hold to my evaluation before that of people's attempts to describe themselves.

So, when everyone started out by bringing up their strengths and weaknesses in extremely vague terms, I responded by bringing out almost my entire character sheet. Well, I told them about what I had bought and why. There wasn't really a way to show people my entire character sheet so far as I knew. Take my motives for that as you will. Perhaps I was feeling like being more open with the group, or perhaps I just thought it would get them to be more open with me and I knew I could change out my stuff if necessary. For consistency's sake, though, I don't think my stated or personal views on my motives really matter in light of actual action.

Aliases/callsigns: None

Body: Str: 38 Con: 57

Speed: Agi: 48 Dex: 70

Mind: Wis: 59(89) Int: 76

Recovery: Bod: 40 Sta: 62

Path: Technology

Level: 16

Classes: Computer Operator

Credits: 262,201

Soulbound: 68/80

16pt Computer

16pt Electronic Transmitter

16pt Limited Quantum Interference Interface

16pt Artificial Intelligence, Personalized

4pt Harmonic Disrupting Multiphasic Scanning Dagger

A generalized memory storage and computational device, essentially a robot brain. Can be optimized for size, power, or other parameters. (Class Option)

A catch all for most types of computerized control and interface devices for use with a sufficiently powerful computer. (Class Option)

A specific computer interface and control device unlocked through the higher category and discovery. Allows connection with other electronically based devices designed for interface capabilities, with higher levels making hostile intrusion easier and increasing the range of the interface (Class Option)

A specific computer interface device unlocked through the higher category and discovery. Allows the analysis of nearby objects molecular composition with higher levels increasing the range and the clarity of complex esoteric chemicals and chemical reactions. (Class Option)

A specific computer interface device unlocked through the higher category and discovery. Allows the analysis of nearby biological entities; including the genetic, physiological, and other less obvious aspects of the entity. Higher levels give more range, clarity, and allow for gathering more esoteric biological data types. (Class Option)

A specific computer interface device unlocked through the higher category and discovery. Allows the analysis of nearby abstract generated reality spaces, with higher levels giving more range, clarity, and chance to bypass hostile barriers to data acquisition. (Class Option)

A specific computer control and interface device unlocked through the higher category and discovery. Allows connection with other abstract reality generating based devices regardless of their design for interface capabilities, with higher levels making connection more possible and less prone to unreality bleedover. (Class Option)

A specific limited range quantum interface and influence device unlocked through the higher category and discovery. Higher levels increase the power and the range of useful signals that can be interacted with. (Class Option)

Abilities: 80/80

16pt Hammer Space

16pt Enhanced Senses

16pt Short Ranged Teleport

16pt Reduced Biology

16pt Danger Sense

A safe area held within the soul that allows the transfer of items into and out of that subdimension. Can be bought up to the level that allows for the transport of a small spacecraft. (Class Option)

A Brain and nervous system upgrade that allow for mental control of any electronics implanted while allowing those electronics to have a degree of influence on the biological. (Class Option)

Gives the user superior senses, including the mental upgrades required to process the greater levels of information. Allows the user to actively utilize often unconscious senses, such as touch's heat sense, to gain information about the surroundings that might otherwise be ignored. (Discovered Option)

A body that has been genetically optimized for the Arcane Arts can now be yours, allowing for greater levels of Magical or Psionic use with less physical strain! (Discovered Option)

The very fabric of your soul has grasped more than most mortals could even imagine! This allows the student to do greater feats with no greater strain, greatly improving one's maximum power! Perhaps, in time, your power may grow to mythic heights! (Discovered Option)

Point to point instant movement specifically tailored for speed and moderate stealth while needing no more than line of sight to the target location. Suffers from extremely short range. (Purchased Option)

A reduced need for sleep and rest that, while not eliminating either, allows one to function without either for long periods of time. (Purchased Option)

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Limited and focused precognition allowing one to instantly divine the level and basic approach of danger. (Purchased Option)

Skills: 71/80

16pt Instant Shield

16pt Miniscule Wormhole Creation

16pt Wilderness Stealth

16pt Magical Efficiency

4pt Electrical to Magical Energy Transmutation

1pt Create Water

1pt Generate Electricity

1pt Create Fire

Gives the user the skills to create operating systems to both control a computer and to allow the computer to control other things. Level effects the complexity of the control and the range of how complex the thing is that can be controlled. (Class Option)

Gives the skills to create items that a computer can use to control other things. Level determines the complexity of what can be a controlled target. (Class Option)

The Power of the Arcane and mundane collide a proof of how the Magical triumphs as it molds the world into whatever nature it desires! (Discovered Option)

Dimensional Magic is among the most potent of power, rearranging the very fabric of the universe itself. This particular aspect has been molded into the ultimate unbreakable shield that is the result of a short lived rift in the universe that cannot be overcome or bypassed (Purchased Option) (Legal disclaimer: While the shield is strong and difficult to defeat, it is not invincible against extremely powerful or specifically tailored attacks)

Tearing open the fabric of space, creating an bridge between the here and yonder, is the stuff of Gods and Legends! This version is limited to your immediate area but can be moved once created and is trivial to maintain, though it greatly lacks in volume. (Purchased Option)

Sometimes you just need to get around without being noticed. This is the skill that allows for flawless execution of that goal. This version has been specifically focused on detection avoidance within the untamed wilds. (Purchased Option)

The exhaustion that comes with manipulating the very fabric of reality can be mitigated by greater mastery in the individual arts, but the Wisest of us have come to know that many of these shared aspects can be more efficiently grouped into a singly whole. You have become initiated into these most secret of arts. (Purchased Option)

The ebb and flow of liquids and their power are yours to command as you show any and all obstacles the power of the deep! (Discovered Option) (Limited from 16Pt version during the Tutorial)

Energy in its purest form, the very essence of reality, can be wielded or denied as you desire! (Discovered Option) (Limited from 16Pt version during the Tutorial)

That which reaches beyond the bounds of Time and Space, the very symbol of knowledge and the first grasps beyond it, is yours to direct at a whim. (Discovered Option) (Limited from 16Pt version during the Tutorial)

The Ephemerality of air is both the substance of the empty space between stars and the pressure that holds that emptiness at bay! It is now, also, yours to command! (Discovered Option) (Limited from 16Pt version during the Tutorial)

Energy in its most Physical manifestation, that which destroys all and yet gives birth to stars, becomes your tool to use as the plaything that it is! (Discovered Option) (Limited from two 4Pt versions during the Tutorial)

It turns out that my options were all over the place compared to basically everyone else. This difference was due to the fact that most of them liked their original class and the fact that I was comparatively swimming in credits. While my level had caught up to just one below everyone else, regardless of where everyone started, they just didn't have enough credits to both buy a bunch of options and apply them. Well, not without sacrificing something else, but only Veronica took that route and she had gotten one of the higher credit payouts from the last quest out of the group.

My build was designed around evasion and synergies. Killing the "adventurers" was likely impossible so I needed ways to know when they were coming and run away. For this goal I had gotten a pinpoint sized wormhole ability which I could leave one end behind and, using both my tech and super senses together, see through it. And, while my teleportation could only move me about an arms length away, it was fully "line of sight"... and I could see through my wormhole spy holes. If I needed extra magic I could drain one of the extra batteries and use the one magical skill I had to convert one type of energy to the other, and I could similarly recharge the batteries with another skill. To cap it all off I had taken a superpower called "Reduced Biology" that cut back on certain biological needs, for me that was sleep and rest. It wouldn't exactly help me recover from fatigue, but it would cut back on how quickly it built up.

Beyond that I had gotten a bunch of smaller things as backups to the main plan and quality of life, because nothing works out perfectly. Danger Sense was a type of precognition superpower that would keep me from being completely surprised by an attack but really it only told me the basics of "something bad from that way" so it wasn't infallible. I also got a magical shield to use when that danger happened. The shield was strong and instant but lasted less than a second before burning out. Trading out duration and mobility and efficiency for strength and speed was the best I could do with my limited budget. To deal with my magic heavy build, despite not having the normal magical gene enhancements that let everyone else put out so much firepower, I took a skill for Magical Efficiency. Finally, to cap it all off, I took a stealth skill. This choice was heavily recommended due to the fact that my thoughts about what "stealth" meant, coming from a world without the various upgrades that were commonplace here, were just plain wrong. Radio waves, to give one example, could leave imprints on your surroundings that could be tracked.

Oh, I also bought an AI seed for my computer system to keep everything running. That was, by far, the most expensive thing I bought, going way beyond what the 16 point cost would suggest. Fortunately I could remove the upgrade after the thing finished integrating. Unfortunately only spending 16 points on the "upgrade" for it meant that it would be taking a while. For now it was just an annoying waste of resources but, with all the things I needed to keep my tech doing all the time, it was a necessary waste.

The others wondered how I kept everything straight, the many abilities and such, but I don't think any of them realized how little it really was. Assuming I understood correctly, the 64 point tier 4 skills most of them had could do way more stuff than my one-off tricks could accomplish. What they could do I didn't really know, but I knew it should be possible.

All in all my Upgrades, while they weren't perfect, fit the me that was just trying to get as far as possible in the Tutorial. I had always worked with what I had to face the problems at hand, so adapting to the situation was par for the course. The Super Senses had really been a lucky break, as it was impossible to react to things without knowing they are coming. Danger sense could likely stay as well, as knowing every potential hazard was impossible. Beyond that, most of what I had were tools or temporary. That lack of dedication to a specific way of doing things was part of how I overcame challenges. I had been told before that this was a weakness, not a strength; but that person wasn't still around and I was. The decision between such things as ranged or mele or attacker or support or whatever; none of those options were the hills I would die defending.

All of this I explained to the others through my choices and build itself. Perhaps they would be accepting of who I was. Perhaps they would take my help on this task and then want nothing more to do with me. Perhaps they would react with panic and some degree of disgust once they realized my attitude. Time would not tell, only their actions would.