Since everything so far has been intuitive I try the simplest option which is to say "Spatial Storage" I notice my menu screen to the left switches tabs and now I have an Inventory list there, then I'm distracted by a vortex of light in front of me.
Spreading out and spinning in spirals is a large shinning golden wheel as it grows larger I can see three dimensional crates spaced evenly out around a larger central area. Each crate looks to contain items, as the spiral slows down the glow fades and it now resembles an old wagon wheel with spokes spreading out evenly around, in front is a crate labeled 'GAMBLER'. Within each box I can see the various items I purchased at the system store.
Easy enough to figure out, active class Gambler.....active box Gambler.
The largest area in the center of the circle is empty, but the containers around the wheel have a wide variety of things.
First things first Saying 'Spatial Storage' each time is going to get old. Opening the settings on the side menu and a moment later I've set the command to 'Inventory' and switched sub-vocalize to silent, If that worked correctly I should now be able to open my storage by thinking 'Inventory'. Probably the nicest feature about the menu system is that it seems to operate by voice command, a persons intent, and thoughts.
Closing out of the 'Spatial Storage' I think 'Inventory' and it spirals open again, a bit faster than the first time.
Sipping my drink I glance through the first smaller box labelled 'GAMBLER'. It resembles an old milk crate made out of wood which makes me think somehow my imagination may influence some of this system, as that is exactly the look I would go for. The container has the items I purchased with the credits when I chose the Gambler Class.
Soon I discover I can reach in and grab the item or summon it into my hand. With a thought I'm holding my new sunglasses, the magical shot glass, and the roll of utility tape. The last Item is a dice cup with 6 dice in it, though as I watch the cup changes to a collection of Mahjong tiles with faded gold lettering and a moment later the tiles switch to a set of darts with silver and red fins. That must be my class Item the GAMBLERS TOOL. Thinking about the Item a small pop up window on my menu screen reads:
(sys) Class Item - Basic Gamblers Tool - When removed from storage this item will assume the form you concentrate upon, It may be multiple items or a set. Imbue the Gamblers Tool with Mana Energy to Influence the shape and outcome. When using Influence on this item it is generally undetectable but some skills and classes can detect its use. All abilities of the tool will increase with use. Basic tool can summon simple single items or sets.
Looking at the three items from storage I'm holding in my hand I examine the shot glass, not quite round or square more the high end, heavy, solid shot glass you'd find in a cigar or whiskey bar. Concentrating on it trying to see what it does I notice a pop-up on my left screen.
(sys) Shot Glass / Item / Refills with the last liquid it contained when stored or infused with Mana Energy. Refill times can vary based upon liquid.
Hmmmmm, let's give that a try. Topping off the shot glass from my bottle, I raise a toast to myself, swiftly down the shot, and tap it on the counter. Staring at the shot glass......nothing happens. Oh right when stored. Touching the glass it appears back in its inventory crate only now it has a status bar next to it. 15 seconds later the status bar disappears and holding my palm out flat I concentrate and it silently appears on my palm exactly as advertised, topped off with 1 shot. I'm not a whiskey sommelier but with a sip I can tell it's the same as the one I poured earlier. I throw back the shot then looking at the empty shot glass I try to refill it with Mana Energy, and again........nothing happens. Squinting my eyes I focus in on the glass.....I can almost sense something working but nothing happens. All I can think of is that movie 'The men who stare at goats' Something to work on later I guess. With a thought the shot glass appears back in my inventory, at the same moment I feel.....sense....a small tug in the center of my chest.
If this were a cartoon I'd imagine a light bulb would appear above my head as I connect the dots and assume that's where my Mana Energy is stored or used from....hmmm not sure of the terminology.
The settings window is still open on my left so I concentrate on STATUS and the view switches to my sheet and I see that I'm down 2 Mana Energy but it switches to 1 as I watch.
Name - Benjamin Bateman
Also Known As - Ben
Active Title: -
Race - Human
Active Class - (b) Gambler
Inactive Class - (b) Card Mechanic, (b) Drunkard, (b) Crafter, (s) Parkourist, (b) Medic, (s) Opportunist, (b) Brawler, (b) Warrior/Ranged, (s) Gunfighter, (s) Visionary, (s) Courier, (s) Scavenger, (s) Pathfinder, (s) Restorer, (u) Spatial Artificer
Level - 0
Loyalty - None
Notoriety - None
Health - 140
Passive Health Regeneration - 5 per hour
Mana Energy - 439
Mana Energy Regeneration - 40 per hour
Stamina - 74
Stamina Regeneration - 37 per hour
Class Points - 16
Sending the other two items back into my inventory I look at the Gamblers Tool again which now looks like a pile of colored bean bags. That's pretty cool.
Thinking how I would use this skill I reach into my pocket while focusing on a deck of cards still in their plastic ready to be used for the first time. Withdrawing my hand which now holds a deck of cards looking as if they came right off of a store shelf. Removing the cellophane I open the cards and fan them out just like any ordinary new deck. With a few shuffles and cuts I deal out three hands of poker all while concentrating on my own hand thinking of the dead mans hand. When the deal is complete I turn over the first set and then the second, both hands are junk, the best of the two with a pair of sixes. Flipping my five cards over I see two eights and two aces and a five of hearts, exactly as I pictured in my head.
Shuffling the cards back up and with a thought and a flick I pop them back into my Inventory space, even the discarded cellophane disappears. Holding my hand out I bring the Class Item back out but this time as two sets of darts both with opposing black and red flights and matching shafts. The steel tips look sharp and with a quick flick I shoot the first three at the far wall and they all hit in a small area sticking in the drywall. The second set I shoot just as quickly but I aim with intent and again I feel that small tug in the center of my chest. Thinking of the darts landing at an exact spot on the wall I close my eyes and shoot.....
THUNK THUNK THUNK
Opening my eyes, the three darts are in the exact same spot with tips touching. That will be a fun item, leaving the darts in the wall I look out the window to the west. In the distance I can see smoke curling up towards the sky. Down in the street all the cars seemed stopped or piled up, looking in both directions every street is clogged with cars, people are moving around but only on foot. There's a muted *thump* or maybe a *boom* and I see more smoke billowing up a few streets over.
I check the room over for anything I missed in packing, a few minutes left on my phone for charging.
The room shakes and the light on the bedside table flickers. It feels like an earthquake tremor combined with the building sliding sideways. I've been in California during three earthquakes and this felt just like that except I didn't think Reno had an earthquake problem.
I better be quick, while the phone finishes I think it is time to see if anything I bought during shopping can be useful.
Opening the inventory again I start to go through all my Items. My CARD MECHANIC inventory has a pocket knife, my nifty lock-pick kit, and my 50 lbs of coffee with a nice Mana Energy powered espresso machine. So nothing useful for the moment.
Scrolling through the inventory crates I soon realize I shouldn't be allowed to shop for myself. The Inventory for my DRUNKARD class is a fancy folding chair and survival kit. At least the survival kit will keep me alive, Who doesn't need magical matches and other things.
My 5th class PARKOURIST, is that even a word? has items I can use now. With a thought I make them appear and lay them out on the bed. As each item is set down I read the info bubble.
(sys) Gloves / Light armor / Enhanced gripping / * Complete Description
Hmmmmm I think more information is called for on that. Focusing on a complete description the information pop up expands.
(System) Gloves of Gripping
-Defense: Light Armor.
-Placement: Hands
-Benefits: Gripping - When enhanced with Mana Energy these gloves will adhere and grip to any unenhanced surface and most enchanted surfaces. Infuse Mana Energy for heated and cooling options. For defense purposes these gloves will count as light armor.
-Description - Crafted from system materials this item can be modified up to 10% each time it is withdrawn from spatial storage. System store items are made from system materials and components.
-System material bonus - System Store items will be cleaned, repaired, reloaded, refilled, and recharged when the item is stored or infused with Mana Energy. If there is no Mana Energy available the item will not be affected. Each item is different and costs and storage time will vary.
-Name bonus - System items that have been infused with enough Mana Energy over a long time period may be upgraded and named. Once upgraded the item can no longer be modified but attributes and effects may be enhanced in the naming process.
(sys) Boots / Medium armor / Enhanced Traction and Jumping / Complete Description
(sys) Tactical Watch / Item / Complete Description
With a little bit of tinkering which involves a slight modification by storing and then recalling them, I soon have the boots fitting my feet snugly, the gloves skin toned and as thin as possible, the watch is a bit futuristic but once I size it down and scale back the visual components it looks normal, if a bit expensive.
Let's see somewhere in here there should be clothing that acts as light armor. Class number eight BRAWLER has the full set of clothes I had picked out. With a bit of work I soon have the pants resembling a tan cargo pants with a few extra pockets and a nice casual polo shirt with an alpaca as a logo on the chest. The clothing is very comfortable and feels more like soft supple leather than cloth.
(sys) Clothing - 5 piece Set / Light armor / Complete description
That should work for now, I should be reasonably protected in my system gear, when worn as a set I can sense that each piece is connected to the other pieces without leaving a gap but still looks and acts like normal clothes. No magical belt though, but these new pants don't seem to need a belt. The set includes new pants, a shirt, two socks, and underwear, grabbing my original clothing I can just fit them into my bags.
Looking through my inventories before closing them, I grab two more Items. The first is a Ring I bought with the credits from my RESTORER class and the second is a Band of Minor Regeneration from my Opportunist Class. I mean if you have magic Items you may as well use them.
(sys) Ring of Reflection / Accessory / Complete description
(sys) Band of Minor Regeneration / Accessory / Complete description
Grabbing the remote I switch the news on while I take a moment to relax. Reflecting on the last little bit I realize that either the world has gone insane or I'm now trapped in a video game, I could be hallucinating but everything seems very realistic. I wonder if people re-spawn, or how you level up, or which game it most resembles. The last game I played was Fallout which is one of my favorite game franchises, I had to quit when I couldn't compete against the players who never seemed to sleep and the others with unlimited money for in-game goods. I turn the volume up on the TV so I can hear what they are saying, the reporter is standing in front of what looks like the remains of the Golden Gate Bridge, well at least the tall supports with frayed cables look like the remains of the Iconic San Francisco Landmark.
".......roadway collapsed due to 3 simultaneous earthquakes 2 of which were centered in the downtown San Francisco area with a correlating quake directly beneath the center of the causeway. It is unknown at this time how many people were spilled into the water as the road collapsed. Rescue crews are still arriving on scene and we will......."
"That might explain the shakes earlier" I mutter. "Might be time to get out of Dodge, well get out of this tower at least".
Switching to another news station I see a more tropical background "......to the west. The chain of formerly inactive volcanoes beneath the North Pacific Ocean have begun to erupt once again. Shortly after the incident, tremors and eruptions were noticed across the Hawaiian Islands and plumes of smoke can be seen all throughout the chain of formerly inactive volcanoes."
Turning the volume back down I go back to my Stats, Classes, and Skills. Things I've learned. You can tailor the interface to yourself, Inventory is quick and efficient, pulling or replacing items from the inventory uses a small amount of Mana Energy...
The news catches my eye again and I turn the volume back up. "......me you can see Mt. Hood just beginning to smoke and release volcanic gasses, local earthquake stations have been reporting tremors over the last hour which may indicate Mt Hood will join the other volcanoes in erupting. This will make it the 28th volcano to erupt in the United States and the 73rd volcano reported around the world. If you are near an active or inactive volcano or earthquake zone please refer to your local disaster instructions. Up next we will be reporting on local and nationwide wild fires and other related...."
As the camera pans across the smoke billowing into the sky from a fire somewhere I notice a glow or maybe an energy being released as well. At first I thought it was the HDTV screen or just a digital effect, Instinct or just luck guides me to add my attribute Mana Sense to my eyes? the screen sharpens slightly and around the billowing gas and ash cloud there is a rainbow of colors pouring into the air, narrowing my eyes I concentrate my Perception attribute and the combination with Mana Sight reveals additional colors that glow with pulsating power like florescent lights flickering in my enhanced vision. Mixed in amongst the smoke and gas I can just make out moving shapes floating through the smokey haze.
Searing pain right behind my eyes sends me reeling through the room with my hand flailing out and hitting the TV which rips off its wall mount and falls to the floor with a crash. Closing my eyes I stumble towards the bathroom and a few moments later I have a cool rag draped over my forehead as I recline on the bed. I sense the room shake slightly again and the soft hum of the mini-fridge in the kitchen area goes silent.