Chapter 6

Bolt POV

After three days and 35 hidden rooms later, we found a schematic on the artificial brain. How we identified the schematic was through the illustration of a brain and a similar one next to it. A few days ago we found the remains of a hub in one of the hidden rooms. The hub had all sorts of information, like the purpose of the Citadel, blueprints for airships, all the way to tutorials on how to build. The most important part was a model of an actual brain and a description of what it does.

With the help of Tool we built the skeletal structure of the artificial brain, the skeleton was basically the spine made out of metal and six curved ribs of metal at the top of the spine with slots on the inside each to hold a memory drive. (http%3a%2f%2fi.imgur.com%2fpbfCS8r.jpg [http://i.imgur.com/pbfCS8r.jpg] courtesy of me and the internet not having a similar image) Now it was my job, I wired the entire thing, and added the mana crystal socket that Tool built separately in the center. I continued following the blueprints, adding 5 high-end processors, 3 CPUs, 1800 jacks along the spine, HDMI jacks where the optic nerves would connect to, 4 graphics cards, but before I finished by placing the mana crystal in the socket in the center, I transferred all of Grey’s data to the artificial brain. Then I added the mana crystal. The blueprint says nothing after I add the mana crystal however, it does indicate that there should be a reaction of some sort…

I wait for 3 hours but nothing has happened and I start worrying. A LOT. I leave my workshop and wonder around pondering what could I have done wrong. The guys come up and ask how the brain is going. I reply “I don’t know what is wrong. I followed the directions and nothing is happening…”

We group up and talk for a while when I hear a rumbling. I dismiss it as a tremor, they do happen on occasion. But when I hear some clanging from my workshop I get worried and run over.

The guys follow me and what we see startles us. The ‘brain’ part was been encased by the mana crystal and along the spine, in the gaps between the metal vertebrae are this soft looking jelly-like material. I look over the blueprint and sure enough it matches the drawing of the finished product along with the arrows pointing to places describing what it should look like.

Tool and I shout “SUCCESS!!!”

Tool then grabs Grey’s brain and heads over to his workshop. The rest follow behind.

Grey’s new body is hunched over and currently has the spinal column missing along with the back of the head being open. Tool carefully inserts the brain and I see the panel of the head slide down (like a motorcyclist’s visor going down) and the segments along the border to where the spinal column is located close up so that the spine is no longer exposed (http%3a%2f%2fi.imgur.com%2f5Gt3YNh.jpg [http://i.imgur.com/5Gt3YNh.jpg] p.s. the dots are screws… image courtesy of me and the internet not having a similar image AGAIN!!!)

I anxiously await along with the others for Grey to return to the land of the living. After what seems like forever and a multitude of snapping and clicking which I hope are the cables being connected to the spine… I really hope that that is the case… Steam starts to be emitted from the vents and pipes along the back. The body moves around doing what seems to be a calibration routine and turns around. The body looks like a steampunk knight (http%3a%2f%2fi.imgur.com%2fukKHGvw.jpg [http://i.imgur.com/ukKHGvw.jpg]).

The eyes seem to get slightly brighter as the consciousness of Grey seems to return. Then after a few moments we all get a message from Grey.

Was sup guys? What did I miss?

We cheer and literally carry Grey out and show him the improvements to the base. Hammer and Nail finished the wall around the outpost we set up. They also added a total 5 mana ballistae along the wall to fend off the beasties that could be out there, we hadn’t seen any yet… better safe than sorry…

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

I finished the larger hub thanks to the help of Hammer and Nail dragging the broken one that we found.

Tool is still working on a better tool-gear but has made significant progress due to a few blueprints we found.

Hammer and Nail also are closed to finishing a casting plant, which builds the body and installs the motherboard as well. Soon we will have fresh scrap… Hehehehehehehehe…

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Grey POV

Slowly my senses are restored starting from touch, then hearing, then smell, and finally sight. I am greeted with the monotone faces of Tool, Bolt, Hammer, Nail, and Scrap. They seem to be waiting for something… might as well humor them…

Was sup guys? What did I miss?

Unexpectedly they cheered and carried me around showing me all the things they accomplished in my absence. Hmmm I should have gotten a notification… OH I DISABLED THEM! That’s right… enable notifications.

HEY GREY! HEY YOU’RE GOING INTO THE BOSS ROOM!!! HEEEEEYYYY

There were a few other text based ones, others were notifications of gaining blueprints, but the most recent three were the most shocking.

Gained leadership stat

base is 10

gained 10 leadership due to actions of companions

Quest: Restoration (Race Quest)

Restore the Citadel to its former glory!

Restriction: leadership stat

Reward: title, ???, ???

Quest: Legacy (???)

???, you have a body and brain that were a prototype and underdeveloped, ???

Restriction: ???

Reward: ???, ???, ???, ???

Huh, I can understand the first quest but the last one… that one is weird… maybe it is due to my lack of information… hmmmm… need to find out more on that quest.

Well now my stats look like:

STATS NameGrayTitleExplorern/an/aCombat Potential40Durability400/400Mana50/50Leadership20AfinityMechanic/LeaderIntegrity76%Fuel Level100%Water Level89%Battery Power100%ResistanceSlashing: 15/20

Earth Magic: 15/20

Air Magic: 15/20WeaknessFire: 10

Ice: 10

Lightning: 10ImmunityMind: ∞, Curse: ∞, Body: ∞, Magic: 5----TraitsAdaptive: Able to forage/dismantle things faster and learn things 1.25 times fasterTechnological Construct: immune to most magic, weak to Ice, fire, and lightning. Cannot use magic (Lacks system currently) , can replace parts and upgrade bodyUnique: +2 to luckMute: cannot use any vocal communicationsTinker: (hidden)

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Yo, Author here, instead of a small rant about my job I made a story about it… also to help develop my lack of ability to describe things. Also to help gear my mind to writing.

Next chapter will be the outside life chapter