Bitch PoV

I can't believe how much I've been affected by that jailed rat.

After I saw him the last time I can't forget that look of indifference. No it was more like a dead look. He had no life in his eyes.

The image of him looking straight into my eyes with that dead look burned in my mind. I was hoping to see him yell scream to see him despair seeing me but that dead look shook me to the core. It made be a bit nauseous at the time but after getting home I went to my room and the bathroom to wash up and try to relax. It was then that all that stress rose and I couldn't hold the nausea and threw up remembering how he looked at me.

I knew I had done something bad. Having had one of my fathers men cause an accident with his family but it wasn't supposed to be anything big. So I thought. All I heard from him was that the work was done but besides that I didn't know how bad the accident was.

After hearing that his sister was paralyzed because of the accident I had ordered guilt overtook me.

It began slowly appearing. Soon my honor student grades began falling and I started to notice many people looking strange and my attitude towards everyone turned worse but bullying stopped because I could barely think about it.

The thing I hate the most after these two years is that I was being left alone. No one talked to me now and I was made to get tutors and supplementary classes by my father to raise my grades.

On third year of high school I could easily say I had become depressed. The guilt constantly ate away at me and I had to work a lot to keep it out of my head just so I could listen to the teachers.

It was at the start of summer that my father called me.

"I've been watching you ever since your grades began dropping. I've seen and heard you cry and every so often throw up for no reason. I'll ask only once. What is making you like this!?" He said in a harsh tone glaring at me.

"G-Guilt..." I said shuttering.

"About what? What could possibly make you guilty of to make you depressed?!" He said almost yelling.

Slowly I told him. He remembers the boy but the became shocked to hear about the accident and my meeting with him after.

"I see...I see. No wonder. Ruining someone's life you hate is one thing but you ruined the life of an innocent child. Well, I definitely see why the guilt is so large...Okay then I will have punishment for your actions soon I need to see to something." He said his voice void of any emotion.

We left with a blank expression but his eyes showed his rage. I returned to my room and silently cried myself to sleep.

The next morning my father woke me up and told me to get ready.

We took me out of the city and into a huge complex far from the city. Their we met a number of scientists. We were led below ground and into a room with a number 13.

Inside we saw a large number of VR capsules. We walked a bit before stopping in front of one that had two people inside.

I instantly paled. Inside was Nathaniel and next to him his sister who I saw a picture of after the accident.

"...W-Why are we here?!" I asked with tears forming in my eyes and nausea building up.

"Let me tell you about what is happening here. Its a rehabilitation program made to allow the juvenile prisoners pay their time while inside the game Etheria online. This boy who you ruined and his sister are living their lives in their now as part of the program. Your punishment will be the same as theirs. You will be put into the game and will be their for 7 years just like these two but that equals almost 35 in the game. This is your punishment for ruining their lives.

"f-father...i-isn't this t-to much?!" I asked tears falling down now.

"No. I think it's too little. But if I were to let the media know, my company would go into ruin because of your actions so you will pay time you should be doing as the boy is for something he didn't do." My father said in a cold emotionless tone.

He turns his back and walks off.

"Please put her in and hook her video feed directly to my home computer. I shall personally monitor her." He said and left.

The scientists nods and pats my back and guides me to an open capsule. I was crying already as I sat down. I can't go against my father especially in a place with enough guards to control several prisons worth of juvenile convicts.

The helmet was strapped in and the game activated.

The character creation begins. Floating in space was surreal.

"So you're the special addition to the program I hear. My my, what did a girl like you do to warrant 35 years in this world." The AI goddess asks after suddenly appearing.

"I put in jail a boy for 10 years and broke him after paralyzing his sister." I said as guilt overcame me after saying that.

"Sister?...Oh that boy! Nathaniel I believe. Techno within this world. Quite the clockwork he is." The goddess said nodding.

"Can I begin." I said coldly not wanting to hear more.

"Of course but the clockworks have been sealed for you so you are to remain away from the boy for a while." She said making the body of the clockwork that appeared for character creature vanish.

"What are Clockwork?" I asked.

"Sentient Robots pretty much." She says nonchalantly.

"Are their other artificial races?" I asked.

Two creatures appeared. One was named Golem the other Construct.

"Golems are earth elemental made from alchemy they are more brute strength with high affinity to the element they are made from. Constructs are in an layman's term magic puppets. Strong magic abilities but weak body construction at the start." She explained each strength and weakness.

"I want construct." I said

"And your name?" The goddess asked.

"...Jeopardy." I said after a moment

Ariel raises her eyebrows at the name.

"Quite a strange name. Anyway your surname will be...White. Good luck and have a nice life." She said

The world flashed white and suddenly I found myself in a large junkyard with thousands of broken constructs making mountains of them. I could see several walking about. As I try to move I notice something. I have no arms and only my right leg.

"I guess I deserve this." I said sniffling as i was now unable to even cry.

I lay there for a moment sobbing before hearing someone approach. Soon a male construct appears.

"My that is a sorry state you woke up in. Need help?" He asked.

"...Yes...please." I said quietly while nodding.

Around his wrist a few parts open up and a few tools appear. He begins working on a nearby construct and removes the arms and leg before coming and attaching them to me.

"Should be enough. Good luck. I just a suggestion. Repair as many parts on yourself as possible. The insides have machine parts like androids and robots." He said.

He gets up and soon leaves. I don’t stop him. He wasted nearly an hour fixing me up. I look through the menu and learn to bring out the tools and begin repairing.

"I guess I need to work quick. I’m already behind others." I said quiey to myself.

I fix myself as best I can with my limited skills and start moving.

Techno PoV

Right now I’m being stared at. Why? Easy I have new gear that no one else does. Now the second reason I’m being stared at is because of Bulk.

"So will...you do...that?" He asked.

“Not a change” i replied the same moment.

I walk around him.

"Come on...I need...someone good...at tinkering...to improve...my body." E complained.

“I’m good at Tinkering, not body construction” I lied.

Yep he wants me to upgrade his body to be closer to a tank.

The tanks themselves have been repaired somewhat. They are able to get to 50% capacity and say they can probably beat the queen with a bit of strategy.

"You're still...better at...working than...others. I saw...you upgrade...your hands. Also they...aren’t creaking...like before." He continued whining.

"Tch" “Still won't do it.” I say really annoyed.

"Thats harsh...man. I thought...we were...friends." He said trying to play a guilt game.

“If we were friends I would be talking with you directly.” I said bluntly.

"...I’m not...a best...friend but...I am...a friend." He continued.

"I like Bulk guy he is funny." Nova said while laughing.

"I know...you do." I said to her. “Still I won't make any upgrades.” I told Bulk.

"Damn, not...even Nova’s...help can...sway you." He says complaining more.

“Unless I can completely trust you I won't do it cause it can come back and bite me in the ass later.” I told him.

He sighs and concedes in defeat.

"Anything I...can do...to earn...your trust?" He asks.

“Nope” I say cutting him off from future attempts.

I picked up my pipe club and shield as he did the same with his huge club. We were planning on going another round with the Drones. We needed more parts for the Tanks and I was hoping to get another head piece to give to Nova. I also needed more gears and joints to replace my other ones. Nova was coming along so she can train a bit on the collectors. I had gotten an idea I wanted to try out.

The group was with 13 people this time and in groups of 4 with Nova being left to take the small ones. This way 6 people would fight the Drones so it would go faster.

After a silent walk we arrived. I had Nova hide to the side and then we began like last time. Bulk ran out and argoed and then we moved back. Me and the other team mate were hiding so after the drone passed we came from behind and as soon as Bulk stopped and confronted the drone we came from behind taking out the two back legs. He had already done 10 damage and took one leg

The quick instant damage stunned him for a moment and we began to hit the other legs but before we made the second hit he jumped back and we were all in front.

“Tch. He got...away.” Bulk complained bitterly.

“Stop whining” I tell him without taking my eyes off the spider.

I ran to the left and began circling around to flank it. I saw the others arriving as we entered the fight again. Bulk was taking a bit of damage from the claws having lost 50 life already. He will have to undergo some repairs later.

When the other 3 arrived they came in from behind and one of them used the running boast to smash completely the back left leg while another aimed for one above that but on the right side.

Crippled

As soon as the crippled status appeared the drone fell over to the right and began squirming. Bulk and another team member grabbed the squirming legs and pulled them while me and someone else began removing them. When they were off I began on the head.

Like before I disconnected the transmitter cutting its connecting from the hive and then started on the rest. As soon as I finish the same message appeared saying it was dead.

Fatal Hit

Even as a level 2 newbie I can take so much damage. I guess considering I took the head anyone would die.

“Hey can...I get...the head...this time?” Bulk asks me.

“No I will upgrade Nova. Anything that is left I can pass to you” I said.

“Deal.” He said taking what he can get with hands wide open.

We start stripping the drone bare. I grabbed enough joints and gears for a few upgrades. Near the end Nova arrived and in her arms were many small collectors. I taught her how to put them into her inventory and stored them. After that we returned to the base with the engine. What do we need more engines for? Well Bolts engine was repaired with scraps. This was to make him better. We had him turn off and we replaced the engine.

When the engine came online we cheered a bit and began dismantling the old engine for parts. Even if it was old it was still a better engine than ours so we took engine parts to see if we can upgrade our own body.

I got some parts myself before heading to the workshop and began dismantling the drone head and extracting the parts and upgrading Nova again. This time I added the transmitter to her and the head piece. The rest of the parts I gave Bulk a quick upgrade and headed to work.

Now what was my work? Repairing one of these collectors that's what.

I fixed the damage by taking parts from others and completely repairing the least damaged one and got it to working conditions. I then tried something. Scanning it I saw that the signal to the queen was still active so I connected like I do with the text message. As soon as the connecting was online the old connection dropped.

You have overridden a signal to an autonomous collector. It is now under your control.

Number of drones you can currently control 1 out of 4

It works perfectly so I activate it and at the edge of my view on the left the collectors view appeared.

When I looked I notice it only takes up space on the top left and left a space below it and it only reached to around the area I had my old vision.

So the headpiece is essential for controlling these. That means the queen has an even better headpiece I thought to myself just imagining the queens headpiece.

“Wow smash...it the...thing is...active.” Bulk suddenly shouted seeing the drone.

“Stop!” I said and look straight at him and stand in his way.

“Don’t touch “my” collectors” I said making sure to leave the my emphasised.

“Yours?” He said tilting his head confused.

“Mine. Its under my control. You need transmitter and headpiece to control 4 of them.” I reply.

I sit back down and begin repairing another one. I had about 16 to work with so I was going to make four for me and another four for Nova. They are collectors so I can have them salvage for me. I can also use them for scouting.

While I repaired one I practiced with controlling the collector and had it gather parts from the others.

To my momentary joy I gained salvaging experience which meant the collectors were tools and not a pet. It took a while but I was able to repair enough for both me and Nova to have four each.

They are quite useful, getting into tight corners got easier because they were the size of my palm. The most convenient feature I found was their standby mode which makes them close up into small baseball sized metal balls. I can even store them in my inventory while inactive. Through the repairs I learned quite well how useful they are. I now no longer need Rust for my own brain upgrades I can do them myself because as surprising as it seems their front legs have a pair of claws on them that open up and can be used to pick up things.

With them working so great like this I was able to upgrade my right arm without having to trouble myself with removing my arm like the hand. The result was more than I expected because it seems my body construction skill and tinkering works together and it alters how many stats I get from my own upgrades.

You have upgraded your right arm's joints

+5 Strength

It’s nice when things begin working so well for your.

Besides the stats I get from that I had 6 extra stats from leveling up to level 3, since leveling up gives me 3 stats points each level.

I put them all in agility because I needed more speed for these rusty legs.

Oh right, I’m sure everyone is wondering the health multiplier right. Well with my health currently 170 and I have 10 toughness I would guess that each vitality gives 10 points, each level increases that by 10 points and since I have yet to find the part that gives the 50 extra I can only guess. My best guess would be the engine or the skeleton but since I have yet to experiment it I can’t say for sure and since my engine is working fine for now I don’t need repairs or upgrade.

With my upgrade session done I head outside and to the slowly upgrading tanks.

“Need help?” I ask everyone in the area.

Everyone looks at me.

“Any spots that are too small to reach I can get them” I texted confident.

“...In between the...gears in the...shoulders, we can’t...reach the rusted...gears there.” One of the players said pointing to the shoulders of the tanks.

I nod with a blank face and pull out a collector and activate it and set it down and then I sit down. I then pull the image over my whole view and control it with greater control than before which was a kind of semi automatic.

“Hoho The boy is smart. He already took control of a few collector drones.” Reinfred said admiring my smarts.

A few others looked curiously at the spider and it climbed the arm and into the open shoulder. The shoulder had several large gears crossing each other and near the back were smaller ones hidden from sight. I squeezed the collector through the gears without letting it touch and looked around and found them. Four small broken gears. I open the claws and dismantle the parts and pile them before lifting the gears and exiting before handing them to the nearest Clockwork.

“Replacements...now!” I said immediately

The man blinked a bit before looking through the nearby gears and finding all the replacements and handing it back.

Without thanking them or anything I just scurried back in and found the place the gears were missing.

“Deactivate your right arm so I can put them in.” I order him.

“Sure.” Reinfred replies simply following it easily.

Moments later all the moving gears in the arm stopped working and I put the gears down and began building up the gears again. When they were all in place and firmly bolted on I told him it was clear. At once all the gears began spinning including the ones I replaced.

I scurried out and over his shoulder to the other side.

I felt his movement as he moved his shoulders.

“Heh boy sure does a good job. I can get a bit more power into my arms now.” Reinfred said testing out the shoulder which was now moving all the gears instead of part of them.

I do the same for all of them though only Bolt has anything else to change.

I then went into the chest and began checking on the smaller gears in the back and found several weak and old ones that I was certain was keeping them from getting up correctly.

Problem was they had three gears attached to it so the tanks had to be completely off so that I could work and I had to remove one at a time or it would be to heavy. I even had to send a second collector to help remove the gear due to the weight and size being too much for a single one. It was night time before I finished their inner repairs. My tinkering skill reached level 4 with all the tinkering I did.

After done I retrieved the collectors and headed to one of the rooms and sat down. I fixed the system to turn me on at 6 am and did the same for Nova before both of us entered standby mode and we fell asleep.

At exactly 6 am my systems started up again.

But instead of a normal morning we woke up to lots of tremors. I picked up the still booting up Nova and ran outside where I saw them. Standing up in their full 3 and a half meter tall glory the tanks were stretching their limbs.

“Hahaha it's good to stand up again.” Reinfred said doing some random stretches for no good reason.

“I can’t agree more. I feel like I can take the queen on by myself.” Hub said while punching the air like a boxer.

“Hey guys have you checked your capacity.” Bolt asked while examining his body.

...

...

…

Reinfred: 68%

Hub: 70%

Bolt: 65%

…

..

.

There was suddenly a roar of laughter from the three and they looked my way. Hub crouched on all fours again and came in and grabbed me and dragged me out.

“Good job boy!” Hub shouted

“Cheers for the boy that got us walking.” Reinfred shouted along.

Hub suddenly throws me up and catches me. It was then that Nova woke up completely and began screaming. As soon as he caught me again I stood on his hand and ran up his shoulder and pulled old pipe out and smashed him in the face.

“Don’t EVER...DO THAT...WITH ME...OR NOVA...EVER AGAIN!!!” I shouted into their faces.

I jump down and hug Nova. She hugs me tightly as she sobs into my metal shoulder. We had no tears but I knew she was crying and my V shaped eyes from the head piece were glowing brightly with my rage and the pipes were whistling like a train whistle as steamed was pumped out more then naturally would.

The three tanks and everyone that saw stare in shock as I walk inside and start to breath to calm down and soon the steam pumping died down and I was able to get Nova’s grip off and add more water into my engine.

I saw Bulk come in after a while.

“You guys...Ok?” he asks us while looking from one to the other.

“Yeah, I just lost my head because those idiots scared Nova.” I said still very irritated.

“It surprised...everyone to...hear you...yell like...that. Everyone thought...you were...a mute. Also your...voice. It held...emotion that...we can’t...do with...our monotone...voices. Everyone is...thinking that...you found...a voice...box that...isn’t monotone.” Bulk said while looking at me.

“I barely talk, I don’t need to replace this junk.” I reply to his claim.

“I said...the same...thing. There...are quite...a few...jealous people...who think...you are...hoarding too...much stuff.” He said with worry present in the monotone voice of his.

”I only...hold what...is mine. With the Tanks walking again they will probably soon go kill the queen and get the furnace. Once we remake new bodies. I’m leaving with Nova. I don’t feel safe here.” I say.

“You sure? Its not...safe out...there either.” He said.

“But it's safer than here. The scariest monster is the largest, its the one that you talk to every day.” I said.

“If you...are leaving...here soon...then I...should get...my things...ready. I still...have my...debt to...you for...reviving me.” Rust says appearing from the doorway.

“I wouldn’t let you forget it even if I had to drag you out in standby mode”

He made a robotic chuckle at my comment.

“You also have a debt you still need to pay Bulk. I upgraded you and also repaired you and you haven’t paid up yet” I said pointing at Bulk.

“Hahaha Fine I'll...go as well. Who else...is there...to watch...out for...your rusty...metal ass.” He says laughing.

“Before that you wanted to be a tank right?” I ask.

“Yes I...do, why?” He asks confused.

I open my inventory and take out a few items I collected. A few metal pipes, a small thick glass ball with two holes through it, a mechanic pump, a quick release pressure valve and a bulky metal fist a third the size of the normal on.

“You’re going...to need...some weapons.” I say out loud.

For the first time I make a wide grin which they return back as we begin to work.