My history paper was on a villain, of course.

Hey, I needed the grade. INT boosts didn’t come cheap.

The villain I chose was Nachtsturm, one of the first inventors. Starting his career around December 2060, he’d gone the armoured vehicle route - first with a combat bike, then with an inventech armoured car, and finally with his Ultimate Fighting Vehicle.

Nachtsturm had a deep, abiding hatred of the changes happening in his city of Hamburg. His name was adapted from his Twitter handle, which he'd used for almost a decade to criticize the city administration.

His key theme had been about how the administration had become a cesspool of corruption and privilege, ignoring its duties to the city. Considering that Hamburg had one of the highest increases in crime and poverty during the 2050-2060 period, one might think that the man had a point.

The city administration had disagreed, painting the man as a rabble-rouser. The public had ignored him.

Ignored and sidelined, the man had built up a deep resentment of a city that rejected his views. When he gained powers, he'd kept quiet at first, then started with some pretty minor crimes. In 2060, he'd robbed a bank with his armoured motorbike, then redistributed the cash to the poor. That hadn't helped his public perception.

The combat bike had been badly damaged in the next heist, so in his third he'd come with an armoured car. The fifth heist, in December 2060, had seen the German army deploy a tank to stop him.

Which was why his next project had been the Ultimate Fighting Vehicle.

The Ultimate Fighting Vehicle had been intended as a tank to rival all tanks. Armoured with an exotic material capable of shrugging off most tank shells, equipped with stealth paint, and possessing a heavy laser cannon with twin secondary fast-firing lasers on the hull, it was a vehicle designed to destroy anything in its path. A weapon to terrorize a city.

Except that, on May 7th 2061, the Hierarchy attacked Hamburg.

Nachtsturm might have been a villain, but he didn’t hate the people of the city. So he had deployed the partially-finished Ultimate Fighting Vehicle in its defence.

The UFV, manned by the villain and run by his handwritten code, had shot down a dozen strikecraft as they approached, and wrecked two transports. Alien troops had still engaged the police and the Bundeswehr at various points around the city. Heavy plasma cannons in the arms of aliens had burnt more than a hundred tanks to a crisp, and slaughtered the unarmoured infantry.

The cannons hadn’t so much as scratched the UFV.

Nachtsturm had used his massive super-tank to shield German soldiers, providing them with cover while shooting back with the twin lasers - which had sliced through the alien troops with ease. The aliens had also deployed a few ground vehicles, levitating tanks with devastating plasma cannons - all of which proved ineffective against the UFV’s armour.

After over nine hours of continuous battle, with hundreds of buildings destroyed, the alien forces had been trapped and destroyed. In no small part because of Nachtsturm and his hyper-advanced weaponry. It was the first victory humans had ever experienced in any ground engagement with the aliens.

The German media and public had gone berserk. Thousands of people had died, but tens of thousands more had been saved; the Chancellor had hailed Nachtsturm as a hero and awarded him the Cross of Merit. The city administration, once grudging, had offered him the keys to the city.

Nachtsturm had been exasperated by the public response. “When I spoke my mind, they didn’t want to listen,” he had remarked, “now all say they hear, but they still do not listen.”

The city administration, upset about his continuing intransigence, had first tried to deny him permits, then tried to seize the UFV as ‘city property’. The Chancellor of Germany had personally stepped in and promised that the UFV would be rebuilt at federal expense.

Nachtsturm had rebuilt the Ultimate Fighting Vehicle and asked the Bundeswehr for the loan of a transport plane, to take it to other locations if and when they were attacked. The Bundeswehr had happily obliged.

Complaints about his villainous past had kept surfacing, so Nachtsturm went public and declared that yes, he was a villain and wasn’t going to change. The arguments had gone on for months, until the Codice Juris Mercenario was ratified by Germany and eventually became international law. According to the CJM, an ultrahuman fighting alien attacks was to be paid at a fixed rate - a rate that had been revised steadily upwards for several years.

Nevertheless, the service Nachtsturm rendered at Hamburg netted him a million dollars.

In the months and years that followed, Nachtsturm fought aliens half a dozen times and rebuilt the UFV no less than three times.

Until he was called to serve by the Sled on 18th March, 2063.

Nachtsturm was only the third ever ultrahuman to be chosen by the Sled. Initially, the Sled simply reached his hideout and parked itself outside, waiting. When Nachtsturm tried to leave, it followed him.

The Sled kept following Nachtsturm for several days until he finally stepped onto it.

At which point, it headed off for Fortress Skyguard.

Nachtsturm was less than delighted to be shanghaied onto the Sled. After bitter complaints and grumbling, he had made his peace with Bastion and Whisperwind and helped them to defeat several Hierarchy incursions.

Like Bastion, he had also discovered that he could not set foot on Earth once he’d served on the Fortress. Still, the man had the courage - and the selflessness - to continue to fight the aliens, no matter what happened.

Nachtsturm spent six years on Skyguard and fought more than a hundred battles in space. When he died on 17th December, 2069, his memorial service in Germany was attended by thousands, including the new Chancellor.

“You’re doing well on your courses,” remarked Mr. Fickle as I handed in my paper.

“Thank you, sir,” I replied.

“I don’t mean just history, you know. Your progress is pretty good across subjects.”

“You know my grades in other courses too?”

Mr. Fickle gave me a pitying look. “Son, I’m the school coordinator for the FSAT.”

Ah.

The Florida State Assessment Test, also called the FSAT, was the state-wide exam we all had to give at the end of the twelfth grade. With on-demand computerized testing, a student could give it anytime - in theory. In practice, each school had coordinators who reviewed whether a student was ready to give the FSAT, and when they were ready, they could travel to the city’s testing centre and get assessed.

“So,” Mr. Fickle smirked, “I have access to ALL your grades. And I’m impressed.”

“It’s not that much to write home about.”

“Going from home-schooling to straight A’s? I’d think it is. Have you thought about what you want to do after school?”

“I was thinking of a repair shop. Something small, where I can do odd jobs and make a buck.” At least, until I could figure out who I had been and what my past was. “Right now, though, I’m looking for a part-time job.”

“Why?”

“Need to look after my family. “ I was acutely aware of the time limit on our funds.

“Hmm.” Mr. Fickle furrowed his eyebrows. “Well, in my view you are fairly close to being ready to give the FSAT. I would suggest patience and a couple of months of focus - after which you can probably give it a shot. While I wouldn’t normally pry - do you know how to repair electronics?”

I reflected on my recent A in Industrial Arts and the skill it had unlocked - Electronic Interfaces. “A bit, sir.”

“I’ll put you in touch with Calvin Fleck. He runs the local branch of Handy’s Electronics. They may have something.”

Calvin Fleck was a thin, reedy, bespectacled man. “I can pay you $60 per shift,” he explained, “six to ten p.m. Weekends only, we don’t get much business during the week. You get a bonus depending on how many items you repair.”

The work at Handy’s wasn’t too challenging. People would bring in broken tablets, cracked monitors, and damaged screens on a regular basis. Fixing most was a simple process, especially with Electronic Interfaces - which levelled up rapidly.

Sometimes, figuring out the problem took some time. However, I had a trump card - Analyze.

When I got stuck figuring out a device, taking it to the back room and running Analyze generally gave away its secrets.

I took pains to conceal my special abilities, though. Fortunately, the weekend shifts were universally unpopular, so I rarely had the same co-worker two weeks running.

I brought my hand down on the wooden block in a perfect chop.

“Hai!”

The block broke cleanly around the centre.

Mr. Saito nodded in approval.

I straightened up and bowed. He bowed back, then turned to the rest of the class - all new students.

“That is an example of what can be achieved with discipline, and training,” he announced. “Mr. Drake has been training for only a few months, and has achieved impressive levels of control and focus. I expect the same level of commitment from each of you as you progress through this class. Dismissed.”

As the class left, I turned to my sensei. “Thank you, Saito-san.”

“You have indeed improved,” muttered Saito, “but do not let that get to your head. You still have a long way to go to truly master the forms.”

“I understand, Saito-san,” I acknowledged. “I still have a lot to learn.”

“As long as you keep that in mind. Do you feel you have achieved control?”

“Yes, Saito-san.”

“Good. I think you have learnt as much as you can from this class - I would advise you to continue practicing, though.”

I nodded in affirmation.

QUEST COMPLETED! LEARN NON-LETHAL COMBAT SKILLS.

+100 XP.

SKILL UNLOCKED: STUNNING BLOW.

A SINGLE, POWERFUL BLOW TO THE RIGHT SPOT WILL STUN YOUR ENEMY, LEAVING THEM UNABLE TO ATTACK FOR A FEW SECONDS.

DAMAGE = STR. INFLICTS CONDITION ‘STUNNED’ ON TARGET. DURATION VARIES WITH ENEMY LEVEL AND YOUR LEVEL.

COST: 40 AP.

SKILL UNLOCKED: KNOCKOUT BLOW.

A TARGETED BLOW TO THE RIGHT SPOT CAN KNOCK OUT AN ENEMY.

NO DAMAGE INFLICTED.

CHANCE TO INFLICT CONDITION ‘UNCONSCIOUS’ ON ENEMY. DURATION OF EFFECT: MINIMUM 1 HOUR, DEPENDS ON ENEMY LEVEL.

CHANCE OF KNOCKOUT INCREASES WITH DEXTERITY AND WISDOM, AND REDUCES WITH ENEMY’S HEALTH AND LEVEL.

DOUBLE CHANCE FOR KNOCKOUT IF ENEMY IS ALREADY STUNNED.

COST: 100 AP.

…. At least I had some non-lethal options now.

My grades, fortunately, stayed high - helping me complete the quests.

QUEST COMPLETED! CHEMICAL WIZARDRY.

YOU MANAGED NOT TO LIQUEFY YOURSELF, CONGRATULATIONS. +1 INT.

SKILL UNLOCKED: CHEMIST.

FORMULATE CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS AND SERUMS TO BOOST YOUR ARMOR AND EQUIPMENT.

STARTING LEVEL BOOST: DUE TO YOUR HIGH COOKING SKILL, YOU GAIN A BONUS 2 LEVELS IN CHEMIST.

LEVEL 3: FORMULAS UNLOCKED:

STEALTH PAINT: COAT YOUR EQUIPMENT IN THIS TO REDUCE ITS DETECTION AND HIDE ITS INFRARED SIGNATURE. 100 MP/SQUARE METRE + MATERIALS COST.

NANOFIBRE WEAVE: SYNTHESIZE CARBON NANOFIBRE THREAD TO USE FOR ARMOR AND WEAPONS. 250 MP / SQUARE METRE + MATERIALS COST.

SKILL UNLOCKED: CHEMICAL ANALYSIS

IDENTIFY THE MATERIALS USED IN CREATING ANY SPECIALIZED ITEM. YOU WILL HAVE TO DISSOLVE A PART OF IT, THOUGH.

UNLOCKS FORMULA FOR CREATING ITEM.

REQUIRES MINIMUM 1 GRAM OF THE ITEM. 200 MP PER USE. CHANCE OF SUCCESS DEPENDS ON OBJECT COMPLEXITY.

SKILL UNLOCKED: EXPLOSIVES.

YOU WANT TO MAKE THINGS GO BOOM? NOW YOU CAN.

LEVEL 1: BOMBS UNLOCKED:

MOLOTOV COCKTAIL: 10 MP + GLASS BOTTLE + ROPE + ALCOHOL.

+30 DAMAGE, STATUS EFFECT: BURNING (5 FIRE DAMAGE/SECOND)

FARMER’S BOMB: 50 MP + 10 KILOS OF SUITABLE MATERIALS.

+200 DAMAGE. CAN BE USED TO SET TRAPS OR BLOW UP STATIC DEFENSES.

FUEL BOMB: 200 MP + PETROLEUM-BASED FUEL

+300 DAMAGE.

Wow. Chemistry unlocked some fairly lethal options.

Two Fuel Bombs would be enough to kill a Sarnak.

Best of all, I could make the bombs in advance, stockpile them, and then use them in combat at will.

…. Assuming I could figure out a way to carry it all.

QUEST COMPLETED! GERM THEORY.

CUTTING UP FROGS AND STARING THROUGH MICROSCOPES HAS TAUGHT YOU SOME USEFUL SKILLS. +1 TO INT.

SKILL UPGRADE: MEDTECH LEVEL 2.

SKILL UPGRADE: FIRST AID LEVEL 4. REMOVES STATUS EFFECTS: BLEEDING, SHOCK, STUN, NAUSEA, BURNING. +5 HP TO TARGET. CAN USE ON ALLIES.

COST: 20 MP.

SKILL UNLOCKED: FIELD SURGERY.

REPAIR WOUNDS, MEND INJURIES, AND PROVIDE EMERGENCY CARE TO YOUR ALLIES IN A CRISIS. WARNING: THIS DOES NOT MAKE YOU A DOCTOR, AND WON’T HELP WITH ANY UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS.

LEVEL 1: REMOVES STATUS EFFECTS: CRIPPLED (ANY LIMB), FRACTURED (ANY BONE), CHOKING.

VALID TARGETS: ALLIES ONLY. YOU CANNOT OPERATE ON YOURSELF.

+20 HEALTH TO TARGET.

COST: 160 MP.

FIELD SURGERY CAN ONLY BE PERFORMED WHEN YOU ARE AT FULL HEALTH AND NOT SUFFERING FROM ANY STATUS CONDITIONS THAT REDUCE INTELLIGENCE OR PERCEPTION.

Field surgery would have helped me repair Niklas’ knee.

Well, if I ever ran into him again, I’d offer. I was still two steps away from Cure, though, which was what I needed to wake up Paul.

QUEST COMPLETED! THE LORE OF THE PAST.

YOU GOT AN A IN HISTORY, NOT BAD. +1 INT.

SKILL UPGRADE: HIERARCHY LORE. YOU NOW KNOW AS MUCH AS A NORMAL TWELFTH GRADER ABOUT THE HIERARCHY.

At least Mr. Fickle appreciated my paper.

QUEST COMPLETED! THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY.

ALL FOUR SUBQUESTS COMPLETED. +1 VITALITY.

My final breakthrough came when I got back the grades for my art project.

QUEST COMPLETED! AS IN LIFE, SO IN ART.

YOUR PAINTING AND SCULPTURE SKILLS HAVE POTENTIAL. YOU WOULD MAKE AN EXCELLENT STARVING ARTIST.

+1 DEX.

I took a look at my updated attributes:

STR: 18 DEX: 13 VIT: 13

INT: 19 WIS: 17 CHA: 10

PER: 13 ATT: 14 LUK: 9

And at my stats:

HP: 130/130 PP 247/247

MP: 323/323 CP 230/230

AP: 169/169

$2160.00 XP: 2195/3000 Ethics: +7

It was the 18th of December. One week to Christmas. The boosts were a nice Christmas present.

YOU HAVE COMPLETED ALL STARTING QUESTS IN THE ‘GET AN EDUCATION’ QUESTLINE!

FINAL QUEST UNLOCKED: CLEAR THE HIGH SCHOOL EXAMINATION AND QUALIFY FOR YOUR DIPLOMA.

REWARD: +500 XP, UNLOCK 1 NEW SKILL OF YOUR CHOICE FROM 1 SKILL TREE, +1 INT, +1 WIS, +1 TO ANY OTHER ATTRIBUTE OF YOUR CHOICE.

Wow. My power really wanted me to get the high school diploma.

Guess even mysterious superpowers value an education.

The real kicker was the ‘one new skill of your choice’. If I got the diploma…. I could unlock Heal.

That would get me closer to Cure. And closer to reviving Paul.