《Starlocked: An Engineer's Tale》 Chapter 1: First Breath Everything started with a sharp breath. The man opened his eyes to pitch black, which didn''t help his nerves. He tried to reach out with his hands, but he could only barely bend his elbows till he felt his hand press down fly on a smooth metallic surface. It was the same with both sides and what he could feel with his bare feet. He began to scream. He screamed and thrashed in futility till his throat was sore and limbs were battered. Seeing that, no matter how much he tried, he didn''t get a response it left him one thing to do: think. He was currently trapped; the metal container he was in only gave him about 2 inches of wiggle room on all sides forcing him to lay on his back. Despite all his moving about earlier, he wasn''t out of air, so it was being piped in, and finally he had to figure out how he got in this mess. He thought... and thought... but he had no clue. He only remembered two things: his name and his occupation. His name was Brecca, no surname but considering it was the only one he remembered, no complaints. The other bit of info he had was a bit odd. He was an engineer, did he know how to work with machines? He was drawing a blank. Brecca was about to begin another round of thrashing, when he began to feel his ears pop. The right side of his supposed casket began to slide up, the air rushed out into the growing portal, and the sudden exposure of light blinded him. He felt a chill brush against his skin, which told him he completely naked. The soft buzzing of the lights were pervasive to his ears. Disoriented and sore from the panic thrashing earlier, he shimmied his way out of the opening and when his eyes finally adjusted, what he saw astounded him. There were thousands of them; holes that Brecca could only assume were just like his that lined the sterile white walls. When he poked his head out to look down, he was further amazed that he was not even close to the ground. He was about 70 to 100 ft above what seemed to be the floor. The most unsettling about this place wasn''t its massive size of the complex, it wasn''t even the fact that it was looked like a sci-fi rendition of a beehive. It was The utter quiet; if a pin dropped, it would probably have sounded like thunder even drowning out the light buzzing of lights and machines. He was completely Alone. He was working out the best way to get down, when something began to flash in the corner of his vision. It was a small, red box with an exclamation mark that blinked in and out of the corner of vision; it would stay in that same corner no matter where he looked. When focused on, a translucent red box appeared in midair with bold text filling it. E N G I N E E R B R E C C A , Y O U H A V E B E E N R E L E A S E D F R O M Y O U R S T A S I S C A B I N . P L E A S E F O L L O W T H E H E A D S U P D I S P L A Y T O T H E Q U A R T E R M A S T E R D I S P E N C E R Y T O A C Q U I R E Y O U R O C C U P A T I O N G E A R A N D S K I L L S C R Y P T. "What the hell...?" Was all the confused man muttered before the text box turned into a red ribbon that flowed down the wall and onto the floor below. Well, it was the only thing that showed a way out of here and it beat rotting in that coffin. Turns out that each hole acted like a steep ladder rung, so getting down wasn''t too difficult. The earie silence broken up by his echoing foot falls till Brecca finally hit the cold ground. with slowly steadying steps, it was a good thing that he had this weird H.U.D. thing showing him where to go, because after the large people storage room was a labyrinth of hallways and ducts. The same lifeless silence continued to fill... Whatever this place was. It still had power as he walked down the dimly lit corridor. little ceiling lights showed walls covered in dark smudges and rust spots. It was a steep contrast to the futuristic room he woke up in; like it too was lock away from the passage of time. This place was making all of Brecca''s hair stand on end as he quickly followed that ribbon. His paranoia making him look for something to jump out at him. When the ribbon quickly zipped out and formed a downward pointing arrow that sat in front of a doorway. The lack of a door evident since it had been torn off its hinges had been unceremoniously thrown down the hall a good couple of yards. ¡®¡­ I hope that was a one-time thing¡­¡¯ Brecca thought as he crossed the threshold. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The room itself was just a squarish, lined wall to wall with these blocky machines and a caged off desk in the center. A shiver ran over his naked body as Brecca saw the series of gouges and scratch marks that pocked the floor and floor; like a pack of animals had gone wild inside. There wasn¡¯t much time to ponder further as the H.U.D. ribbon zoomed past him from its point at the door. It floated around the room as if it was trying to find the best perch, only to flitter into one of the better looking devices. With a spluttering of light and an electric hum, it came to life. At the center of the device was a clear panel that showed that there was a single capsule the size of a small dog (the fuck is that?). The central chamber began to spin with a loud clunk, the capsule fell into an open shelf. Brecca looked confused at the spheroid thing for a moment before picking it up. The shining letters of the HUD appeared circling around it spelling out: O P E N? Y / N ¡°Well yeah, isn¡¯t that why I am here?¡± Probably with a bit too much annoyed snark than necessary but the command was understood. A seam appeared down the middle of the Sphere and with a pneumatic pop it split in two. In one half was an airtight packaged Mechanic¡¯s Jumper, a set of metal souled boots, and solid black block. The other half had what could be called a thin crystallin sheet that glowed a soft blue. E N G R A V E S K I L L S C R Y P T? Y / N ¡°Engrave¡­?¡± Brecca question before suddenly, the HUD ribbon floated over and contacted the sheet. The soft blue light coming off it became an active green that shot into the man¡¯s eyes. It felt as if that light was carving itself into his very bones, each moment feeling like a lifetime of experience being pumped into his being. After about 5 seconds the light went out of and a new screen appeared before him, but instead of red it was a dark green. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E N G I N E E R B R E C C A , Y O U A R E 1 , 4 8 7 S O L A R C Y C L E S L A T E F O R R E P O R T D A T E . W E L C O M E T O T H E C R E W O F E X P L O R A T O R V E S S A L L E O P A L D , P O P U L A T I O N : e r r o r S T R U C T I O N A L I N T E G R I T Y : e r r o r L I F E S U P P O R T : 2 7 % N E T W O R K I N T E G R I T Y : . 0 0 0 0 3 % ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- S E A R C H I N G F O R L O C A L H I E R A R C H Y . . . e r r o r S E A R C H I N G F O R D E P A R T M E N T L E A D . . . e r r o r L O C A T I N G M O S T S U I T A B L E C R E W M E M B E R . . . . . . C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S E N G I N E E R B R E C C A F O R Y O U R N E W L Y A T T A I N E D R A N K O F C A P T A I N ! D U E T O I N S U F F I C E N T T R A I N N I N G , C A P T A I N P R I V I L A G E S H A V E B E E N L I M I T T E D T O M I N I M A L A C C E S S , T O U N L O C K F U L L P R I V I L A G E S C O M P L E T E F O L L O W I N G T A S K S : C R E W S I Z E ( m i n i m u m ) : 0 / 6 0 S T R U C T I O N A L I N T E G R I T Y ( m i n i m u m ) : 2 5 % L I F E S U P P O R T ( m i n i m u m ) : 3 5 % N E T W O R K I N T E G R I T Y ( m i n i m u m ) : 2 5 % ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- S T A T U S : B R E C C A O C C U P A T I O N : E N G I N E E R ( r a n k : F ) C A P T A I N ( r a n k : L I M I T T E D ) S C O R E S : C O N S T I T U T I O N ( r a n k : F ) D E X T E R I T Y ( r a n k : F ) C O G N I T I O N ( r a n k : C ) P S I O N I C S ( r a n k : N / A ) S K I L L S : S U M M O N T O O L B O X ( r a n k : F ) B A S I C R E P A I R ( r a n k : F ) B U I L D C O N S T R U C T ( r a n k : F ) A D M I N ( r a n k : L I M I T T E D ) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- T R A I N I N G T A S K : E N G I N E E R 1 / 2 0 A S C E N S I O N T A S K : C A P T A I N ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the information flowed out before him and the last of the light finally finished infusing him, Brecca looked up to the ceiling of the room, fell backwards, and fell into passed the fuck out. Chapter 2: Suit Up Based on the HUD, Brecca had been out for about 3 hours. He could feel the ache that had set in his bones from whatever that Skill scrypt thing was. Sitting up on the scratched floor he looked at the pop ups that appeared in the now green text boxes; trying to get a better understanding of what it all meant. It was also a help that if he mentally focused on a subject, he got a description of it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- S T A T U S : B R E C C A O C C U P A T I O N : E N G I N E E R ( r a n k : F ) ¨C Maintenance, repair, construction. The backbone of every Explorator Vessel; Ancient Tera referred to them as ¡®Grease Monkeys¡¯. Lowest rank. C A P T A I N ( r a n k : L I M I T E D ) ¨C Commander of the ship, their word is law, for they lead the way. Limited access to abilities due to lack of official training. S C O R E S : C O N S T I T U T I O N ( r a n k : F ) ¨C The Measure of how hardy and strong one¡¯s body is, the higher the rank the more one¡¯s physique will alter and improve. D E X T E R I T Y ( r a n k : F ) ¨C The physical manipulation of one¡¯s body and the finesse when using tools. The higher the rank, the better one¡¯s motor functions become and their flexibility. C O G N I T I O N ( r a n k : C ) ¨C The fortitude of and machinations of the mind, you think therefore you are. Higher ranks allow for better problem solving, analytics, and thought processing. P S I O N I C S ( r a n k : N / A ) ¨C Currently unavailable. S K I L L S : S U M M O N T O O L B O X ( r a n k : F ) ¨C The right tool for the job, materialize your standard issued tools from your hardlight storage. The higher the rank, the more tools one has access too. Current list: - Wrench - Multi-driver - light Welder B A S I C R E P A I R ( r a n k : F ) ¨C if it¡¯s broken, you can fix it. The higher the rank the less time it takes to repair functions based on severity. B U I L D C O N S T R U C T ( r a n k : F ) - With the required materials the Engineer can either create complex parts or machines to help their work. The higher the rank the less materials one needs and having access to more complex blueprints. A D M I N ( r a n k : L I M I T T E D ) ¨C The ability of the Captain of the ship, give or deny, no door shall be dissuade you. Due to lack of training, Authorization has been limited to emergency hatches and level 1 doorways. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good¡­ I can work with this¡­.¡± Brecca¡¯s mind was buzzing with all the information presented, Cognition seemed to be the reason he had been able to keep cool this entire time. Why was it his highest stat? Why was Psionics even on there if it wasn''t even available? These thoughts were stopped by the sudden chill that ran up his spine. Oh yeah, he was naked. Now was not the time for that. Getting to his feet, he collected the other half of the sphere. Tearing open the vacuum seal, he was met with a baggy, complicated looking jumpsuit colored orange and green. It was all one piece, with a large gap to stick your lower half into the legs, and the torso having a dozen locks on the chest. Thankfully, a step by step visual appeared on how to get the suit on appeared. The inside looked like black cording, like organic muscle that felt cool to his bare skin. Each ankle and wrist opening had a metal ring that synched close around the joints. Closing the flap that hung diagonally over his chest, he sealed it with zippers and clasps that clicked into place. There was a snug feeling around his neck as a metal ring slid across it and locked into place. The suit began to tighten around his body, molding into the shape of his body till it was like a second skin. The HUD suddenly displayed a paper doll that the weird system. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Alright, now we are cooking with gas.¡± He mumbled as he felt the combination of security and comfort that the jumper offered. The metal lined boots slid on just as easily and connected with the ankle rings to make an airtight body suit. , the system flashed a new prompt popping into view. M K . I I I E N G I N E E R B I O M E S H S U I T ( Bronze tier ) C U R R E N T S T A T U S : H A R D L I G H T H E L M : D I S E N G A G E D B I O M E S H G L O V E S : D I S E N G A G E D M A G T E C H B O O T S : E N G A G E D L I F E ¨C S U P P O R T M O D U L E : E N G A G E D P O W E R M O D U L E : 7 0 D A Y S R E M A I N I N G T I L L R E C H A R G E A U X I L I A R Y N O D E S : 4 x 4 ¡°Hard light helm?¡± Brecca questioned. In an instant, opaque panels of light began to cover his head; coalescing into a helmet that curved and followed the contours of his bald head. Before the panic set in, he found that it wasn¡¯t hard to breath in that capsulized space. The suit seemed to be made for both easy maneuverability and protection incase he had to go outside the ship. It just felt odd that the helmet neither pressed or felt heavy on his head. With a thought he dismissed the helmet, the fragmented panels disappearing into the metal ring around his neck. After putting the suit a bit more through it''s paces, twisting and turning his body in the dilapidated dispensary till he began to pant. Leaning there with his hands on his knees, he let the situation he was in really sink in. He was a man with no memory, naked for the world to see, following a weird computer program in his head through a spaceship that barely works, and he was just named captain of said ship because their were no other individuals qualified/alive other than himself to take charge. ".... Well, ain''t that just a crock of shit." Brecca hiss out between clenched teeth. There was no use complaining, who could he complain to at this point? Himself? Nah, it was time to improve the situation. And the only clue he had for that was the tasks he was given. Looking at the screen his first task was to build a helper drone. Thinking back to the skills to that he was given by the HUD, they popped up in a small window. With a deep sigh he untensed himself and walked out of the dispensary as he reviewed. It was still amazing how quick this system was to respond. As he focused on the ¡®Build Construct¡¯ three options appeared for him: Drones, Parts, and Defenses. ¡°Well, at least I¡¯ll be able to defend myself¡­¡± Brecca said openly. It was the only thing that seemed to cut the silence in the abandoned Hall. With a flick of his eyes, he focused on the drone section and was presented with one option. H E L P E R D R O N E ( r a n k : F ) Used mainly for hard-to-reach places, and to handle more delicate work. R e q u i r e s : 1 u n i t o f D u r a l I t e , 1 f r e e A u x i l i a r y n o d e. The only thing left from the pod, was that black cube. it didn''t weigh a lot probably nothing more than 3 pounds considering its bulky size. As he held it up the H.U.D gave him a prompt. D U R A L I T E F O U N D. C O N S T R U C T D R O N E ? Y / N ¡°Yes.¡± He confirmed. It was an odd feeling; a surge of energy rushed through his arm from middle of his spine, to his palm and into metal cube. It floated a few centimeters in the air and spun, getting faster each rotation. Unraveling into thin filaments that made an outline. the frame slowly built upwards looking like a beetle. It had a smooth, rounded head with 4 pale green panels the curved vertically a long the surface. An egg-shaped body, with four jointed legs that had 3 digits on each end. As the process ended, the four green lines blinked to life and the drone hovered in the air. its little body swiveling in the air above his palm before it locked eyes with its creator. It whirred to life, lifting off into the air and whizzed around Brecca¡¯s head. A trill series of sounds came from the thing as if it was excited to see him. T R A I N I N G T A S K : E N G I N E E R 1 / 2 0 You have gained your first permanent Helper in your tasks. Temporary Drones are now available to construct. duration is based on material used and rank of skill. Your Permanent drone can be upgraded with Complex parts available at rank E of skill. R E W A R D : S K I L L : T O D O L I S T (rank: F) A C Q U I R E D ! 5 0 0 0 C R E D I T S T R A I N I N G T A S K : E N G I N E E R 2 / 2 0 C o m p l e t e t i e r 1 i t e m s o n T O D O L I S T ( rank: f) Brecca and the drone were looking at the screen showing the new part in the quest. After a moment it putted around in the air, stopped a few inches above his wrist, and tapped it with one of its manipulators. A holographic clip board appeared that had a field labeled ¡®Tier 1¡¯.