When you initially entered the Game. They were approved by your AI, a benefit of entering the Game with a rank B capsule, the Administrator replied.
Wait, Eve, you accepted these for me?
Affirmative. This was before you set up permissions. I chose these implants as I felt they would benefit you the most.
Okay, they have helped, just please follow the permissions I set up earlier. Ask me before you make any decision that would influence the Game in any matter, unless it’s a dire situation that doesn’t give you enough time to consult me.
Of course.
Well, that answered the question of where the time went when Alan had first entered the Game. Eve had decided without him to have these implants installed.
Oh well, he probably would have agonized over the choice and would never have picked the Computer-Human Enhanced Interface. Alan briefly browsed the other choices, which now cost thousands of credits, various materials and even ability points.
The implants generally granted the same things the various abilities he could have purchased gave. Increased strength, enhanced senses, flight. Interestingly, it looked like he could become a cyborg of some sort, which allowed for increased mechanical implants, but fewer biological ones. It also made him more susceptible to anti-machine weapons, though, and Alan wasn’t sure how much he liked the idea of becoming half-machine. He already had an AI practically living in his brain, after all.
Like the list of abilities, the list of implants was pretty much endless. After looking at about 20 pages of the most popular implants, Alan got bored, and looked over at the Administrator.
I am done reviewing my implants. Boy, that sounded a bit strange, good thing I’m the only person hearing what I’m thinking.
The Administrator continued to ignore his errant thoughts, and replied, Another important action you may perform in your Home is teleportation, with a fee depending on how far you wish to be transported. Teleportation is generally only feasible within approximately 10 light years and is disabled on ships. For the sake of the Tutorial teleportation has been temporarily activated. Note that teleportation is generally not instantaneous.
Please teleport to the Tutorial destination, where your next test will begin.
A third menu opened up in front of Alan, this time a list of a single place to teleport to, titled Tutorial destination, with a fee of 0 credits, and a question mark for the picture.
Teleport me to the Tutorial destination, Alan thought, and off he went.
Chapter 4
Alan stepped out of the teleportation chamber into the fluorescent light of an underground concrete bunker the size of a small school gym. Along with the teleportation chamber, there were numerous tables at the edges of the room, with an assortment of supplies and weapons. An Administrator also stood in the corner opposite from Alan, next to a capsule. In the middle were a number of military cots, each with a pillow and blanket on them. Standing about the room were the others, everyone except Ace as far as Alan could see.
A message popped up:
The Survival Test:
Try to survive three waves of enemies that will attempt to hunt you down. The first wave will begin a few hours after your entire team has arrived. To prepare for this trial, you are given 100 credits. You may purchase materials found in your starting zone.
At the end of each wave, should you survive, you will be granted additional credits and experience. You may spend Ability points by speaking with the Administrator found in the starting zone. Please direct any further questions to the Administrator.
Good luck!
Alan closed the message, then looked up. The others had noticed him by now, and Thiago was walking up to him.
“Alan, how’d the written test go? Not too long, I hope. Everyone else finished and arrived here hours ago.”
“Uh, it was fine," Alan said. "Are we ready for this survival test?”
"About as ready as we’re ever gonna be," Thiago replied. "I've decided we should stay in this bunker, killing anything that gets close. You and Kitana will go outside and figure out where we are while the rest of us fortify this position. The door’s shut tight, but it’ll open once Ace arrives.”
Thiago gestured at a metal door next to the Administrator, then continued talking.
“So we don’t buy redundant items I am going over everyone's purchases. How many credits did you receive?”
“Um, 100,” Alan said, rechecking the earlier message. He had Eve add a line that showed how much money he had in his inventory screen.
“Really,” Thiago said, staring at Alan, examining him like they'd just met. “As far as I can tell, we’ve been given different amounts based off of our skills, and stuff we brought, to balance things out. The only other person that received so little is Kitana, but she brought a sword for god’s sake. Daisy received 3000 credits, enough to buy a shield generator! She thinks she’s worked out how it works, and it’ll be up once we get it set up and the door opens.
“Also, before you ask, all the items here seem to be bind until death, thus only the person who buys the item is able to use it. The cheapest gun is like 300 credits. All 100 credits can buy you is a few days worth of food and a med-kit, which is what I suggest you buy. Also, add me as a contact, so we can message each other while this thing is going on.”
A message popped up:
Thiago has requested to be added as a contact. Accept?
Accept.
Contact added.
“Ace has arrived. Get ready,” Thiago said, looking over Alan’s shoulder. Alan turned to see Ace emerge from the teleportation chamber. To his surprise, it looked like Ace hadn’t slept a wink, and had been doing some sort of physical activity, based upon the sweat on his brow.
Alan hurried over to the table Thiago gestured to earlier with the food and medicine. A drop down menu appeared before him, a list of items and their prices. He bought three packets of food, dark grey blocks of what looked like Jell-O for 10 credits each, a med-kit for 50 credits and a water bottle that somehow gathered water from the atmosphere and filled itself for 20 credits.
Opening up the med-kit, Alan saw it looked like a futuristic first aid kit with bandages and different gels for wounds. Alan hoped Eve knew what to do with this stuff.
Someone had suggested he take a first aid class at some point, but he’d always figure he’d have the internet and a hospital nearby. Alan shoved this stuff into the green backpack he’d scavenged from the house he started the Game at. He still had the combat knife the soldier had given him earlier in his pocket. Hopefully it would be enough for whatever it was they were going to face.
Another message popped up:
First Wave: Predecessor Scouting Hounds, Lvl 30
Enemies remaining: 20
Time until arrivaclass="underline" 1:20:54
The message included a 3D hologram of a massive beast the size of an SUV, covered in scars with huge protruding fangs. It sort of looked like a enormous bulldog to Alan, if the bulldog had brown bear fur, a cat’s jaw with saber-like teeth, and had been mauled a few times. Alan didn’t think his tiny knife would do much against this thing.
“All right, everyone, it’s time to begin.” Thiago called out. “You all have your directions, let’s do this. Please update me with any new developments.”
Everyone nodded, the majority of them gathering around a metal device Alan assumed was the shield generator. Kitana got up from a cot, where she had been sitting down sharpening her katana, gesturing Alan over. Thiago went back to talking to Ace, who apparently hadn't been given any credits. Alan really wanted to know what Ace's abilities were and what had happened to him, but he had work to do.