While the girl interacted with the Access Point, Danielle opened to her drawing of a keyboard and set it on her lap, then activated her Planner, muttering to herself – or rather to her System – “All right, time to train this Skill on visual input. Here’s the deal, System; I’m going to type on this virtual keyboard, and you record the letters I hit, OK?”
Predictably enough, it didn’t work at first; Danielle hadn’t expected it to, though. Training activation gestures had been the same. She had to tell the System what she wanted again and again, and keep trying, and insist on the meaning of the gestures she was making. She had time, so she kept at it as the last third of the camp took turns walking past her to the pillar and back again some amount of time later; she was so focused on her task she didn’t really even notice who was coming and going until Zephyr, somehow already behind her, shouted “YES! It worked! It totally worked! Elevated Wind Shaper Zephyr, here I come!”
“Is that the secret project?” Danielle asked over her shoulder.
“Yep! Not so secret from you, considering I already told you I made wind with my Fire Writing,” Zephyr said, grinning at her. “I got an extra Skill unlock from it too! Ah-ha-ha, my numbers are great!”
“Congratulations!” Danielle said, turning back to her ‘keyboard.’ “Do you know how many people are left?”
“Pft, do you not?” he asked. “Jordan and Tom came right before me, who do you think is left?”
“Aheh, I’ve honestly been so engrossed in my Interface training that I hadn’t even noticed who has and has not been in here so far,” Danielle admitted. “If you hadn’t started yelling, I probably still wouldn’t have.”
Zephyr chuckled. “Is that what you’re doing? People have been wondering. Anyway, I just need to decide if I think a new Career is worth it right now, and it’ll be one of your official party members next.”
“Unless you have a mana Skill or Trait, think twice about spending mana on a Career right now,” Danielle said. “Well, or unless you live in building seven near one of the Wolf Pack guys, or are otherwise particularly concerned about unexpected mana bursts. There’s a reason I’m not just saying ‘don’t do it’ here, but keep in mind, you can make a trip here in just one day if you push it (especially if we find the short path on the way back) and you might want that mana for the catalog Un-Fair in two weeks. If you can last two or three weeks without the new Career, chances are you should. Camper isn’t so bad, it can and does drop survival-friendly Skills.”
“Huh. You think that catalog thing is actually going to be good?” he asked.
“Could be. It might sell more emergency rations, or tools the necessities stores don’t really offer. I’m pretty sure there will be fishing line, but don’t quote me on that. I’m hoping for extra changes of clothes too, frankly. I know the Rangers have access to extra uniforms, so it’s possible.” Danielle shrugged. “We’ll find out in a few days.”
“You mean a few weeks,” Zephyr corrected.
“No, I mean on Saturday,” Danielle said. “Oh, uh, I’m not sure I’m exactly allowed to share that around, though. It might not have been officially finalized when the Rangers mentioned it to me.”
“What’s maybe happening on Saturday?” Zepher asked, now sounding mildly concerned.
“Not sure, but maybe delivering the catalog itself so we can have our orders planned out in two weeks,” Danielle said. “Maybe something else too, they were a little vague about that though. Oh, and those of us who are owed cougar parts will be getting some of them.”
“Those of us who are owed cougar parts,” Zephyr repeated.
“Ask me about it later, we’re holding up the line,” Danielle said in a teasing tone.
“Right. End Session! I think I’m done for now. You’re right – I’m a Scout, I can get out here any day I want. I can wait to see what happens Saturday before I make a final decision on spending the mana,” Zephyr said, and headed for the edge of the circle.
The next people were indeed the SHAD party, starting with Sadie. She barely took any time at all, and didn’t make a sound, nor show any hint of noticing as Danielle refreshed the Bubble of Silence while she was there. Cassy came next, and took longer. After several minutes, Danielle asked, “Does the Career search just take a lot longer, or does it involve a more difficult decision?”
“Takes longer,” Cassy said. “I’m still waiting – oh, there it goes. HAH! Survivor! Yes, oh System, I would like to apply the Survivor Career, thank you!”
“Congratulations, Cassy!” Danielle said.
“Thanks,” Cassy said. “I guess I’m done. Um, End Session. See you in a few minutes Danielle – we’ve got dinner cooking.”
Akari came next, and pronounced her results “Awesome!” but didn’t linger. That left Heather for last. After the already long wait for the Career search, she exclaimed “What do you mean, consistent – yes!” Danielle wondered what was going on but didn’t think it would be appropriate to ask until she was done. Heather stayed at the pillar for several more agonizingly long minutes before saying, “That’s better. Yes. Set active. End Session.”
“Good news?” Danielle asked.
“Well, I got something out of the Career search,” Heather said. “Forager. I guess it’ll be more plant-themed stuff? I guess it’ll probably work great with Herbalist, so good enough.”
“You sound like you might have something to talk about later,” Danielle said, “but it can probably wait until later. It’s my turn now, right? Everyone else is through?”
“Yep. People are cooking supper, even if it’s just jerky stew, and Lucy’s room is threatening to inflict some kind of talent show or skit contest on us,” Heather said.
“Oh, the horror,” Danielle joked, closing her notebook and standing up. “Tell anyone that asks that I’ll be out in a few minutes. I’m doing the Career thing.”
“And how are you going to explain why you’re ignoring your own advice about not spending mana you don’t have to?” Heather asked.
“I can tell the truth – I’m worried about early leveling and need the extra mana channel,” Danielle said.
“All right. See you in a few minutes,” Heather said, and left the Bubble of Silence.
Danielle refreshed the Skill, and approached the pillar with her back to the campsite. She looped the drawstring of her tokens pouch around her fingers so she wouldn’t have to make wide motions to get tokens out of it, then put her hands on the pillar.
“Access Point: Constanza North welcomes System User: Danielle Falconer, Level 2,” the System responded. “Updateable skills and traits are now updated. What do you want to do? Please consider the following suggestions:
- Search for unlocked system options not currently displayed on your personal interface.
- Use mana to advance unlocked skills or traits.
- Initiate an Access-Point enabled career search.
- Make purchases from the system store.
If you have another action in mind, please declare it verbally.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Danielle frowned at the Access Point’s message. “System store?” she asked.
The Access Point responded – because of course it did. “System Store: Welcome, customer Danielle Falconer. You currently have 0 mass credits. You currently have 0 advanced skills with store attachment options. You currently have 0 session mana.
Currently displaying tier 1 – 2 items worth 100-1000 mana. Filter?”
Below these header messages, Danielle saw a list of items for sale – cloth. Fishing line! Meat! It was all very low quantities, though, and most of it was a great deal closer to 1000 mana than 100. “Pricey,” she commented.
Between the header messages and the list, a new line appeared: “System store prices are based on mana cost of manifestation. For lower prices, consider manufactured instead of manifested goods.”
Danielle snorted. “I’ll do that. Main menu?” The Access Point went back to the previous set of messages. “Search for unlocked options,” Danielle told it. There was a momentary pause, followed by the proverbial wall of text.
“Since your last Access Point update, you have unlocked the following non-advanced skills:
Tier 1: Amplify Voice, Craft Clear Airway, Create Light Source, Dehydrate, Disinfect Wound, Field Triage, Fire Writing, Free Enhancing, Identify Plant, Local Anesthetic, Mana Shaping, Mana Sight, Thermal Sight
Tier 2: Defend Another, EKG Visualization, Guided Suture, Infrasight, Surgical Adhesion
Skill Trees: Leadership, Scavenging, Element Manipulation
Since your last Access Point update, you have unlocked the following classes: Bodyguard, Field Medic, Fire Shaper, Light Shaper, Medic.”
“Ooh – Field Medic!” Danielle exclaimed quietly.
“Class: Field Medic – This class focuses on mana efficient medical care with an emphasis on emergency situation response. This class is ready to advance with a general Class Token,” the Access Point said, apparently taking her exclamation as a request for more information.
“That’s the choice for me – time to manifest a token,” Danielle said. The Access Point promptly brought up the Token Manifestation menu she’d first seen on Decision Day, now with a new entry.
- Class token: 400 mana
- Firmitatem Exile Advancement Token: 1000 mana
- Skill Token: variable mana cost
- Mana token: variable mana cost
Access Point session Mana available: 0
Internal Mana Available: 28 (usable for whole Tokens only)
Danielle nodded and started pulling tokens out of her pouch – one, two, three, four, five 150 point tokens went into the hole, raising the Access Point session Mana number to 750.
“Manifest Class Token,” Danielle said, turning one hand palm-up. A Class token appeared, and she promptly put it straight into the token hole on top of the pillar.
“You may now choose a new class!” the Access Point announced. “All classes added to your status will be accessible at all times, however, if you advance more than one class, you must designate a single class to absorb mana. Do you want to see your currently available classes?”
“No thank you. Advance Class: Field Medic,” Danielle said confidently.
“Please select level one options for Class: Field Medic.
? Choose one trait from: Combat Awareness (T1-L1) or Resistant Consciousness (T1-L1)
? Choose one trait from: Speed Improvement, Strength Improvement (T1-L1), or Dexterity Improvement (T1-L1)
? Choose one skill from: Clear Airway (T1-L1) or Guided Splint (T1-L1)
? Choose one skill from: Medic’s Diagnostics or Notice Symptoms (T1-L1)
Error detected: null choice offered. Scanning for updates. Updating!
? Choose one skill from: Field Triage (T1-L1) or Notice Symptoms (T1-L1)
Danielle watched in confusion that gradually turned to relief as the Access Point objected to its own last line of instructions, then ‘thought about it,’ and finally updated the line. She flicked her eyes across the entries, reading a description here and there, and chose Resistant Consciousness, Dexterity Improvement, Clear Airway, and Field Triage.
She was returned to the main menu when she completed her selections. A new line at the bottom reminded her, “Access Point Mana available: 350,” and the “suggestions” to search for new unlocks or make purchases from the System Store had disappeared.
“Is the System Store no longer available?” she asked. The Access Point promptly returned to the System Store page, even though it wasn’t one of the displayed options. “Main Menu, please. I’m starting to think the other Access Point might have been tweaked to make things easier for us,” Danielle muttered.
“Organization-controlled Access Points may demonstrate adjusted interfaces,” the voice of the System said. “This Access Point is not organization-controlled. Do you wish to make a selection or end your session?”
Danielle wondered vaguely why the System chose that moment to give a verbal instead of text response, but knew better than to pursue it. Sometime the System just behaved a bit oddly that way. “Initiate Access-Point Enabled Career Search,” she said instead, since the Access Point didn’t seem to have any issues with her jumping from one mode to another.
The mana available went down to 325, and the menu text was replaced with the words, “Performing Skill-Based Career Search,” and a remarkably computer-like “loading” icon – the kind that spun, but showed no indication of how much progress it was making. Danielle waited, trying to be patient.
After several geological ages – or more realistically, a few minutes – the Access Point added a line of text: “Skill activity since previous Access Point update is consistent with existing career(s).”
Danielle sighed. “I was afraid of that,” she said, but just as she was about to call for another option, it added, “Activity sufficient to evaluate for a Secondary/Hobbyist career. Do you wish to evaluate?”
“Yes, please evaluate,” Danielle said. She waited again. It occurred to her that Heather had probably seen this same set of prompts – no wonder she’d been upset. The Camper career wasn’t so bad, in Danielle’s opinion, but in the Sent camp, Survivor was preferred in ways the System probably didn’t – possibly couldn’t – recognize. Danielle got so caught up thinking about the difference between the System’s and the Sents’ views of various Careers, she almost forgot to be impatient at the long wait time. When the result finally came back, she was so excited she forgot about the long wait entirely.
“Secondary career offered: Mana Researcher. Do you want to take up this Career? Careers are not removable,” the prompt read.
“Oh, Yes I want to take up Career Mana Researcher!” Danielle replied with barely restrained glee. “I don’t know what Skills that’s likely to give me, but I can’t wait to find out!”
“Career applied,” the Access Point responded anti-climactically.
Danielle grinned. “Thank you, God,” she said. She drew breath to move on again, but to her shock, the System responded – and so did the voice.
The Access Point’s response was in text: “Message recipient not found. Return to main menu?”
The Voice she’d heard Wednesday morning said, “You’re welcome; now go and advance Defend Another.”
Danielle froze up in shock. The Access Point typed out: “Outside power recognized; no inputs received at this time. Return to main menu?”
“Y-yes, return to main menu,” Danielle stammered, and barely managed not to blurt out, It really was the voice of God?
“But if I take Defend Another I won’t be able to complete the rest of my plan,” she said in dismay, then realized she had blurted that out aloud. The audible voice didn’t return, but something inside her seemed to point out that she could, in fact, wait on Sensory Tuning, especially since she’d already passed up the notice-type Skill option in her new Class. She could plan to take that one at the same time as whatever sensory Skill she felt required tuning to be usable.
Meanwhile, the Access Point had latched on to the ‘take Defend Another’ part and was prompting her for confirmation: “Do you want to advance Skill: Defend Another?”
Danielle stared at the prompt for long seconds, then shook her head. “Yes, advance Defend Another,” she said. “Who am I to argue with God?”
“Access Point: Constanza North thanks the system user for not engaging in conflict with Outside Powers in this circle,” the Interface printed. “Skill applied. Skill: Defend Another added at level 1. Access Point session Mana remaining: 175.”
“Advance trait: Extra Mana Pool 1,” Danielle said.
“Trait applied. Trait: Extra Mana Pool 1 added at effective level 1,” the Access Point replied. “Please provide a name for new mana pool.”
“Riverine Mana Pool,” Danielle said immediately; she had planned out her naming scheme.
The Access Point Responded, “Do you wish to apply a name to your original mana pool?”
“Oceanic Mana Pool,” Danielle declared.
“Names applied. Access Point session Mana Remaining: 25,” the Access Point returned.
Danielle loaded her last 150 point mana token, the 100 point token, and after some dithering, all of her 5 point tokens. The Interface updated to read. “Access Point Mana Remaining: 305.” Danielle sighed and added her last token, the 50 point token she’d originally imagined using for crafting. Well, she hadn’t imagined having a mana pool that could hold over 50 points any more than she’d imagined taking so many tier 2 skills and traits before the first month was out. “Access Point session Mana Remaining: 355.”
“OK, time to keep some promises,” Danielle said. “Advance Skill: Flash Shield.”
“Skill applied. Skill: Flash Shield (T2) added at level 1. Access Point session Mana Remaining: 205.”
“Advance Skill: Local Anesthetic.”
“Skill applied. Skill: Local Anesthetic (T1) added at level 1. Access Point session Mana Remaining: 105.”
“Advance Skill: Purify Food,” Danielle finished.
“Skill applied. Skill: Purify Food (T1) added at level 1. Access Point session Mana Remaining: 5.”
“End Session,” Danielle said.
“Ending Session – unspent mana tokenizing. Please take your mana token before leaving,” the Access Point said. Sure enough, a 5-point mana token appeared in the token spot on top of the pillar, then popped out and landed cockeyed, not quite in the hole. Danielle put it back in her token purse with the two 10 point tokens.
“I’m back to normal token savings,” Danielle said to herself, putting the little bag away. Then she opened her normal System Interface and grinned. “Except with a new mana Trait. And an awesome new Career. And a Class that matches how the Rangers talk about me! I’ll probably have to take one of those shaper Classes after a while to keep the Systemists off my back, but for now, this is great.”
To Danielle’s consternation, Bubble of Silence expired. “Oh wow – has it been that long?” she muttered to herself, and started towards the campsite. She paused between the trees just long enough to change her mana absorption pointer to her new Class, then rejoined her party at their campfire.
now you can introduce yourself as a classed Medic. (Her status post will go up in a few minutes.)
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