Enter System, page 22
part #1 of Natural Laws Apocalypse Series
Without allowing himself to think about it any more, he dropped both points into Agility. Then went back to his other skill options. There was a large range of weapon skills he could select and they even had a few weapons to distribute if people wanted them now. The weapons they had weren't of a good enough quality to attract his attention though, mostly rated poor with the occasional common, all of them gotten from the spawns they'd killed.
I could probably afford a weapon from the shop, maybe even uncommon or good quality, he thought. Should I go that way though? What other defensive skills do I have options for?
He looked through the skills offered and realized that it was sort of limited. With his particular class, he didn't get a lot of the skills that a normal warrior would. He did get most of the defensive ones though and he examined the limited selection, right now there were only three he could choose: Taunt, Shield Wall, and the Shield Mastery skill.
He'd skipped the Shield Mastery skill when he took Shield Bash since it hadn't been needed, but a look at the Shield Mastery skill told him he'd be much better off using Shield Bash after he had the Shield Mastery skill. Shield Wall was also tempting. Since he, Felicia, and Rob all had shields, if they made a line and he used the skill he'd enhance the defensive capability of all of them.
Shield Wall is for later. We wouldn't have anyone behind us to dish out damage using that right now, he thought. Taunt is good also, but I should wait until my Arcane Armor provides better protection than it does right now before I try to get the spawns to gang up on me. So Shield Mastery skill it is. It'll improve my defense as well as improving my Shield Bash.
He took the Shield Mastery skill and found himself already considering how to shift the balance of his shield just a tiny bit in order to make it less tiring and more effective to use.
Well, I didn't really expect that, not until I used it. I suppose it makes sense though if I now know how to make those adjustments. We'll see if they're automatic when I go to use my shield again.
Having used all his points, he stood back up. He was eager to do something and he was sure there was something he ought to be doing that he hadn't done yet. The sense of urgency was strong, but at the moment there wasn't a lot he could do. It was close enough to dark that he didn't want to head deeper into the city again and while the materials pile was growing rapidly, there wasn't enough metal for the next expansion yet.
That's it, I'll have them switch targets from the houses to some abandoned cars and that should get us enough metal for the next expansion, maybe even in the hour and a half before dark, he thought.
* * *
He made his way out to the front gate, watching as the nearest remaining house was recycled through the machine. There were some newer cars on the road and in driveways just a bit beyond the house that was currently being recycled. Ones that Marc and his group had ignored before since they'd wanted something older, with more metal to it, but for now they'd certainly do.
He waited and when the crew returned the current batch of recyclables asked them if they'd hit a few cars next, telling them why too. There was a power assist to the recycler's movement, which was good since it stacked all the recycled materials on an expanding platform that came out the rear.
“Sure, no problem. And thanks for the guards. There was a couple of those little green guys in that last house, but they put 'em down pretty quick.”
“That's what they're there for,” Marc said, “but if we can expand a bit more I'm hoping to find more survivors and get them to safety here.”
“You got it. Depending on how fast it takes care of them, we can probably get...”
He eyed the cars and the distance from the gate. The recycler might assist in movement, but it was slow.
“I'd say five or six before it starts getting dark.”
“Just do what you can, don't take any risks though. Right now keeping people alive is more important to me than expanding so we can try to find more people to keep alive. There's no guarantee of the second,” Marc said.
The lead of the recycling crew smiled at Marc for a moment.
“You got it, boss,” he said.
Then he pitched in, helping to unload the machine more quickly so they could go back out.
I wonder if there's anyone around who'd be willing to help them unload, but is scared to go outside the Safe Zone, even that would be helpful and save a few minutes here and there, Marc thought.
People seemed to be using the gymnasium to congregate in when the cafeteria wasn't serving so he headed in there and made an announcement that if anyone was willing to do some lifting without going outside the gates, they could help the recycling crew that way.
There were actually a few people who headed outside after his announcement and he hoped that they were going to help like that. His train of thought was interrupted, though, as Conner approached him.
“Marc?”
“Yes, Conner?”
“I went through that intro thing with Al. I also read the description on my available classes. Can I get you to help me with the decision?”
“Sure, but it really ought to be your choice.”
“Yeah, but you know this class thing better than me, even after I had the intro. I understand Warrior, I think, it's like this System's equivalent of a soldier or grunt, yeah?”
“Kind of, except not,” Marc said. “A soldier would be more like the old Roman Legionaries or European men-at-arms, whereas a Warrior is more like the barbarians that attacked them. That's a generalization though.”
“Close enough then. Protector isn't for me. That's more like a bodyguard type of thing from what I read, and that's not what I want.”
“So, you're leaning towards Guardian?”
“Yeah, actually I am. It is, and isn't, like being a cop. I mean with the court rulings that cops didn't have to respond to protect people? A Guardian would've tried to get there and protect them, damn the cost. I kind of think I like that idea. I mean, I became a cop to protect people in a general sense, couldn't do it the way they used to, but this way I sort of can.”
“Well, it sounds like you don't need me to go over it with you. You know what you want.”
“Well, it's like this. A Guardian is tied to some sort of settlement and is the Guardian of that settlement. This Safe Zone qualifies as that. I thought I should ask if you minded if I took the Guardian role for the Safe Zone before I just did it.”
“Ah, I get it now. I intend on expanding the Safe Zone though, is that going to mess with your class?”
“From my understanding it won't, but it might open up some more slots for Guardians in the settlement if it gets large enough.”
“Then feel free. I don't exactly know you, nor you me, but you put yourself between me and those arrows in a heartbeat so I'm pretty sure I can trust you,” Marc said.
Conner blushed.
“Just doing my job?”
“Which one? The one that pretty much went away with the old world or the one you haven't actually accepted yet?” Marc asked.
“Umm, so that's a yes then? I can become a Guardian for the Any Port Safe Zone?”
Marc nodded.
“Go for it. Once you do take your class? Check your inventory. You should get something called a System token and you can, if you like, use that to Systemize the pistol you were saying was in bad shape. I think it should put it back to mint condition. Just make sure you have all your magazines in contact with it at the time. As a matter of fact, try the whole gun belt? See if that gets everything you have in it back to good condition. The whole thing can be considered the tool you need to perform your class correctly, so it just might work.”
“Yeah, but ammunition?”
“Ammunition seems to be holding up fine for some reason. I only had trouble when I tried to fire it before Systemizing the AR-15. Once I had, it fired fine. If not, the shop has most common calibers of ammo available.”
Conner grinned.
“Well then, looks like you've got yourself a Guardian.”
His eyes went distant for a moment, then he shuddered all over.
“Oh that's creepy,” Conner said. “Suddenly I know all sorts of things I didn't before. I learned a spell, Detect Truth, and some skills like Tracking and Subdual. I also got a skill point and a list of skills I can use that on.”
“I'd recommend taking some sort of weapon skill that isn't your pistol. My firearm skills seem to still be in place even if I don't have a System ranking for them, so learning something new would probably be good if you're decent with your pistol. I know you are with the rifle, so...”
Conner nodded.
“I'll let you get to it then,” Marc said, “you should be able to get the help for any of those skills now. You know, as a matter of fact, let me do something here. Jeff said I could use the build pedestal to make minor alterations at no cost.”
* * *
Marc went over to the pedestal that held the wire-frame model for the Safe Zone. They'd discovered that the only people who could touch it were Marc, and Jeff since Marc had authorized him to do so. That didn't stop people from occasionally coming over and staring at it and once Marc went over and started manipulating it, there were several people that came over to watch.
He used it to raise a small pedestal, like the shop pedestal, alongside one wall in the gym. Then he went over and removed the one system help pad he'd kept. Biting his lip he went to the shop and spent several minutes finding a way to keep it linked to the pedestal. He'd considered a padlock and chain, but there was nowhere to connect it to. There was, however, some sort of security measure that could keep the pad within a couple of feet of the pedestal. It was fairly cheap at five silver also, so he bought it.
Attaching one piece of the device to the pad, the attachment molded itself to the pad so it wasn't visible without a lot of peering. He attached the base of the device to the pedestal itself, then placed the pad on it. Once it synced, he tried to walk off with the pad, only to find himself brought to a halt about two feet away from the pedestal.
That should do just fine, he thought.
“Hey Conner, spread the word, would you? This pad I'm leaving on the pedestal has all the basic System help files, including ones that you can't pull up yet. It needs to stay on or near the pedestal, but you're all welcome to use it if you're looking for something and can't find it in the normal help.”
I'll just keep one of the next batch I make in case we need one on the fly, he thought. As a matter of fact...
He checked the shop notifications that he'd set to not interrupt him and found that the entire previous batch of help pads had sold, so he went back to the shop and started getting a new batch set up for sale.
By the time he was done with that, the cafeteria had opened for dinner, so he sat down to eat before doing what he was so eager to do currently. Once he'd finished eating, Felicia, Rob, and Jeff accompanied him back to the gym.
“So, the recyclers were going to hit some cars next. I'm hoping that with their efforts, we've got enough materials for the expansion,” Marc said. “I know how to do it, theoretically, from the book I bought on Safe Zone management. Now let's see if I can actually do it. Jeff, I'll want you to do the wire-frame again if you're willing.”
“Heh, you need to learn how to do it without me. You can just spend some time playing with it, then reset the wire-frame to the existing structure any time you want. I'll do it this time though, but only if you promise to start learning how to do it yourself,” Jeff said.
“Fine Jeff, I actually had some time I was trying to kill today, so I might have some time to try that in the future, but tomorrow, we need to go through the town. Both groups. Lots of noise. I want to draw out the spawns to kill them, plus find any more survivors out there. If we don't get them soon, I don't know how many will still be around to get, assuming there's any more out there now.”
Jeff sneered.
“People are as bad as cockroaches,” he said. “They'll surprise you with their adaptability and what they can survive. I mean, look at me. I lived through everything my dad put me through and came out stronger on the other side, maybe not with the best manners, but with the ability to survive a lot. That old bastard just had to be right when he told me that he was just toughening me up, didn't he?”
Marc stared at Jeff, blinking.
Jeff never talks about his family. I know his mom died when he was young, but he never talked about his dad, ever. What's going on? Marc thought.
Trying to hide his actions, Marc leaned closer to Jeff and tried to smell his breath. He didn't even need to get that close to smell the beer. Marc had just thought Jeff's shirt was stained, but it was apparently still wet with spilled beer.
“Umm, yeah. Well, I hope you're right,” Rob said. “But Marc has a point. The longer we take, the more of them are gonna die, so town run tomorrow everyone?”
“Yeah, well, let me check resources,” Marc said.
You have sufficient resources to increase your Safe Zone.
Resources required:
Wood: 1500/1500
Stone: 1500/1500
Metal: 1000/1000
Designated power source for Safe Zone:
Monster Core – common – poor
This power source will sustain three expansions from base.
“Okay, we've got the materials. Remind me to do something nice for the guys working the recycler,” Marc said. “Jeff, I think you're right. Let me try to handle this one. If I screw it up, you can always fix it on the next expansion, right?”
“Of course I can,” Jeff said. “I'm great at fixing stuff up. Lots of experience with it.”
“Okay then, let's see if we can make the expansion all towards the town instead of away from it,” Marc said.
He pushed the wire-frame drawing representing the walls out, and out some more. Pushing them equally and trying to only expand towards the town, not backwards or to either side, he managed to push it out about three football fields, if he were to guess. Although it did force him to add some area not in that direction as well.
Okay, I get to designate some stuff here. Let's put in some barracks style buildings with power and water, in case we get lots more people in here. One of those to house up to about thirty or forty people maybe? Place that over this way.
He looked through available designations for the land he was about to enclose, seeing fields, ponds, wood lots, orchards, and several more.
For now, let's just designate the land to either side of the road approaching the building as fields. The kids can play in those maybe, or we can do something else with the big wide-open spaces. Put a wood-lot off to the side maybe? Then we can eventually supply at least some of our own materials.
He selected light poles along the road and in the parking lot areas, not that those meant a lot now, but he assumed they'd eventually they'd get some sort of transportation and it could be parked there.
What else do we want? Oh, what's this, a greenhouse? With options on hydroponic, soil-based, or aquaponic? What is aquaponic?
A minute's work with the help screens told him that the aquaponic setup would provide both edible plants and fish. A generic bonus to all the types of greenhouses provided plus fifty percent to growth rates in them and he assumed that meant the fish as well. He selected two greenhouses, one of them soil based and the other aquaponic.
That filled out the number of buildings he could include in this expansion, so he tried to finalize the setup.
You have insufficient resources to expand your Safe Zone in this manner.
Resources required:
Wood: 1500/1500
Stone: 1500/1500
Metal: 1000/1000
Sand: 0/10
Fertilizer: 0/15
Nutrient solution: 0/1
Designated power source for Safe Zone:
Monster Core – common – poor
This power source will sustain three expansions from base.
“Oh screw that,” Marc said. “Of course I had to try to get fancy so now I need other resources. You know what? If the shop has these for anything resembling a reasonable price, I'm just going to buy them.”
Leaving the setup the way he wanted it, Marc headed over to the shop. There were a couple of people in line and rather than wait, he went back to the building pedestal. Checking the options, he found one that would upgrade the shop, allowing additional people to use it. He checked the upgrade and was happy to note that the only cost was an additional ten metal, which was covered by what they had.
When he went back over to the shop, he only had to wait on one individual to use it, then got to it himself. The total of the materials he needed came to forty silver, which wasn't a very big hit at all to his current funds after splitting up the remaining gold from the auctions, so he simply purchased it on the spot. With the items delivering themselves out the side of the shop pedestal he walked back to the building pedestal and confirmed his choices.
You have sufficient resources to expand your Safe Zone in this manner.
Resources required:
Wood: 1500/1500
Stone: 1500/1500
Metal: 1010/1010
Sand: 10/10
Fertilizer: 15/15
Nutrient solution: 1/1
Designated power source for Safe Zone:
Monster Core – common – poor
This power source will sustain three expansions from base.
The new shop upgrade would allow for up to three people at a time to use the shop and he thought that it ought to keep the line non-existent or at least down.
Until you get even more people in here, he thought. Then it might end up being a problem again.
He shook off the negative thoughts and looked around. Rob and Jeff were gone, but Felicia was still right there. He cocked an eyebrow at her.
“We figured out what was wrong with Jeff. You guessed he was drunk?”
“Yeah, I smelled the beer when I got within a foot of his shirt.”
She nodded.
