First chapter of the week Enjoy and please leave comments/Ideas and reviews/votes

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Techno PoV

It was the last day we would stay in the Virtual space. Me and Sasha were enjoying some TV before we would be entering the game again. It would be 4 months in game before we would get a break. While she was watching I went over my notes I had made. The notes contained several basic blueprints to improve our weapons and some possible new ones. Some of them held complete sets of codes that would replace our corrupted ones. I had also remade the targeting, scanning, and mapping system on my PC here and improved on it as I learned more about programming.

Besides them, I had also made several body blueprints for myself and Sasha each more complicated than the last. This was so we could be ready as we leveled up.

I also took the time to learn to make some engines similar to car engines but still steam based. Mainly engines with pistons. The pressurized vapor enters pushing down the piston and escapes into a secondary tank which is where the water cools and returns to be reheated. The first tank would hold the steam and go to the whole body to move it around and any possible tools that would use it.

I had made it a pure Mechanic body. It had a knight like body but only had swords as weapons. I trained in the gym some to be able to use both arms, I normally use my right arm so with training I started getting used to using my left hand. I also wrote most of the time here with it so I could become better. All this so I could work faster with the swords I have in case I ever needed them as well as controlling the robots better. I could also become more flexible while tinkering if I used both hands.

With everything checked we were told to get to bed before noon as we would be sent into the game while in bed to avoid any complications since we were still laying down in the game. We both cleaned up our rooms putting all the books away and cleaning the rest of the junk. We would still have access to the books but I guess it wouldn’t hurt to be neat and it’s possible that the app works only with books in the bookcases, so I won’t be taking that chance.

With everything ready I put Sasha in bed and tell her not to get up and told her we would be back in the game soon. She just nods and starts playing with the Virtual space system. I had made sure that she wouldn’t have any authority to actually buy anything unless I allowed it but she liked to look at the items.

I leave and head into my room. I put the remaining books away and then go to my desk and grab the pile of blank paper and put it in the bookcase. Next to it I put several cuts with pencils, pens and markers. After a bit of testing I found out the bookcase system took whatever I put in it and made it available to use so if I had a pencil or pen in it I could use them in game through the app.

I lay on my bed and a timer appeared.

3 minutes before launch[table]

I nod swiping the window away.

I thought about what had happened during the time we were here. It was a nice rest from the constant need of having to look over my shoulder to be careful of anything sneaking up on us or to make sure Gaia wasn’t about to fuck something up.

I really hope that idiot put herself in such a high place that she won’t be able to escape from it when I return and get Rust back before we hit the skies or road.

When the clock finally clicked the time, my vision darkened and I found myself in space. Floating next to me was Sasha and in front of us was the same goddess we first met when making our characters.

Ariel: ‘Hey kid, good seeing you again.’

Nathaniel: ”Can’t say the same though’

Ariel: ‘That’s mean, and here all of us gods were so interested in you. We were all so intrigued by how grand your adventures were during the first awakening, but who cares.’

Sasha: ‘Hey lady stop reading bro’s mind and speaking just with him.’

Once more just like the first time Sasha goes and makes a few veins appear on the goddesses head.

Ariel: ‘I guess that brother of yours still hasn’t taught you manners huh. Let me do that for him.’

She raised her right sleeve and starts floating over to Sasha with a somewhat evil glint in her eyes.

Before she could pass me I got in her way which makes her look up pissed but she took a step back when she saw me getting annoyed. Seems she has an idea of how much I cherish Sasha and is probably giving up on doing anything.

Ariel: ‘Tch, and here I thought I could fix that rotten personality of hers.’

Nathaniel: ‘Try fixing yours before others.’

My comment makes her brows twitch with anger.

Nathaniel: ‘Can we move on or we will never get down to the planet.’

Ariel: ‘Fine brats. Do you want to continue with your characters from before or make a new one. Remember that continuing with your old character will cut your levels in half and put a debuff on your body to compensate.’

Nathaniel: [/i]‘Same ones”[/i]

Ariel: ‘Good, now shoo. Oh and it’s a good idea to make your adventures just as exciting. Most of you players were really boring so most of the gods have their eyes on you.’

Nathaniel: ”I don’t really give a damn but just know I won’t be some scapegoat for restarting your long forgotten religions.

She shrugged and waved her hand.

Our bodies began glowing brightly and fell down towards the planet like meteors.

We weaved through the skies and soon we could see the scrapyard from above. The light we were in veered off from the main bulk of the lights descending around the city that had appeared around the South gates.

We flew far off straight into a mountain of junk through everything and finally impacted into our bodies.

The moment we hit our bodies everything went dark except for the digital window that appeared showing the booting up process.

Just like the first time, the booting went ahead and scanned my body but unlike the first time the scans showed all my bodyparts were functional but it took large damage from rusting.

[table]Your steel body has aged tremendously and has been reduced to rusty steel.

Power of steel has dropped to rusty steel.

Stats have been reduced by 60%You have gained the Rusty body Trait. Until you repair all the heavily rusty parts in your body your stats will be halved.Your levels have been cut in half. Your current level is 24.

Because you didn’t use your extra stat points no allocated points will be removed. You currently have 21 free points remaining.

Seeing the windows, I grimace seeing that irritating trait is back. I start moving my body but it all instantly start to creak and I feel several major faults in my gears around my arms and joints.

Delta: ”Good to see you’re awake boy.’

Techno: ”Oh you're still stuck here. I would have thought you might have escaped by now.

Delta: ”Because Gaia and Rust went out into the world I've been able to spread my program to other clockwork and machines. So I'm pretty satisfied as I am. I can see what they see so it isn’t bad.

Techno: ”And what about talking with others.

Delta: ”Well you don’t speak with anyone else either.”

Techno: ‘...’

I shook my head and actually chuckled hearing that. I really can’t reply back.

Delta: ”Rust is heading over with parts for repairs.”

I nod and then slowly turned my head around.

I quickly spotted a few drones and connected with them. My systems were still offline and I was running on battery power so I need them on.

I connect and activate a few of them and have them come over and climb up my back. A few of them open my head cap and another goes in. I search around until I finally find the start button for my engine and press it.

I hear the engine roar loudly to life. The noise from it was rather disturbing. Seems several gears that made the process quieter were also broken.

I then looked to the side and spot Nova. She was already on but like me she was having trouble moving so I send a few drones over and start her up.

I then move a few drones to the gear box we had while others headed into my body to see the parts I needed to repair just so I could move around.

I found several broken gears inside my body. It was from the startup. They were rusted too deeply and broke from the pressure. It was this that caused my arms and legs to stop working. They were major gears since they transfer the power down the gear line.

I remove what remains and bring a new gear in and after shutting down the engine I replaced three gears that were like that and turned the engine back on.

With the gears moving in my arms and leg I could sit upright and move my arms now.

At this point I lay back against the ship behind me. I needed more parts than what survived here. I did fix Nova to a greater degree than myself, getting both arms and legs all working so she was walking about already.

After she fiddled with it a bit she turned her Protector back on. It was much less degraded to the point that it only had a few spots of rust were I could see.

Techno: So the rust we have must have been accelerated to give the debuff.

Realizing this I growled at the gods, but then I sighed because it would have happened anyway since the game went into full release so we needed more even footing.

Though I don’t know if letting someone start off with a ship can be called even footing but who cares.

I opened my status to see how much I lost.

StatusNameTechno GearRaceClockworkClassKnight MechanicLevel:24Free stats points21Durability660/660Energy400/400Strength39(/2)Agility30(/2)Dexterity42(/2)Toughness44(/2)Intelligence36(/2)Wisdom38(/2)Charisma38Leadership10(/2)Luck30(/2)TraitsRusty body

Being offline has degraded your body to scrap.

-5 to all stats until the respective system or parts are replacedParental control

A system skill that lets you teleport your child or sibling that is below age and has wondered a certain distance from to backClockwork scanner

A basic system in a Clockworks body that allows them to scan their surrounds and check tools and parts.

Also allows them to identify items at a certain range.

1 energy every 15 secondsSkillsClockwork body construction (Intermediate 1)

Being of the Clockwork race you instinctively know how to make parts for your body

+7% increase in ability when making a body or body partScavenger (Intermediate 1)

Able to find useful scraps and parts from trash.

Increases chance to find something by 20%Tinker (Intermediate 1)

You have the natural skill to tinker with any machine.

5%Increases ability when tinkering with a machineDwarven Blacksmithing (Basic 1)

The most coveted blacksmithing art. The techniques of the dwarves are passed on in the family and even after the industrial age appeared it was still at the top for being able to make higher quality goods than industrial goods.

The techniques this form implies are all primitive but can easily be adapted to any form of blacksmithing and to many different conditions. Even when using a poorly made clay forge you can produce good quality metal items.

In the past it was kept a trade secret kept under tight guard. It was once even considered a race only art that only dwarves could learn because of their open minds towards blacksmithing. Today though with so few people remaining to keep the art alive, the arts were spread among those the dwarves and to those they trust, or if ever a need great enough arises that warrants the trade of the arts.

+10% when blacksmithing anything.Blunt weapon mastery (Basic 1)

Using a blunt weapon or club has given you some understanding of such weapons

+3% damage when using a blunt weapon

Programming(Basic 1)

The skill to design new programs for automatons and machines. This skill lets you understand better computer coding.

+5% increase to ability when making basic level softwareMarksmanship (Basic 1)

The art of shooting a gun and hit your target with precision.

+2% damage when using a firearm of any kind.

+2% increase in precision with your shot when using a gun.Machine weapon building (Basic 1)

You know your way around with your tools to the point of being able to make weapons that can be added directly to your body.

+5% increase in ability when making a machine weapon (weapons that attach directly onto robots and follow system orders)

Seems all my skills reset to level 1 of the current rank. That’s good because I won’t need to retrain so much. Now the level cut sucks. Half our levels. I've currently a little over 50% into level 24. Really sucks now we will need to grind a lot to get back. Not only that our bodies have been nearly reset.

Well at least we are close to the dwarf relic funcace. Just need to have Rust arrive.

Nova: ‘Hey bro, when will we leave?’

Techno: ‘Rust is coming to help. Bro needs parts to get repairs.’

Nova: ‘Ok. Can I go see the giant robot.’

I frowned and thought before I made a drone climb up the protector.

Techno: ‘Only if you have one of my drones close.’

Nova: ‘Yay~~~!’

She helped the drone the rest of the way and I had it climb up her shoulder. She had the protector run off into the cave towards the giant robot god.

Delta: ”Jealous your sister wants to visit.”

Techno: ”You teach her something stupid and I will dismantle you until you are nothing but another part of this scrap mountain.”

I felt the vibrations coming from inside the cave as the robot laughs and frowned.

After a while I felt the system of someone outside and with a bit of pushing the doors we built opened up and two glowing eyes appear.

They moved closer until the lights from my eye lit the body up.

???: ‘Long time no see Techno. How was your sleep?’

Techno: ”Could have been better. Didn’t you and Gaia say you would keep our bodies repaired?’

Rust: ‘Your bodies were under magical influence forcing it to rust faster.’

I nod understanding. It was then I noticed the clockwork behind him.

Techno: ”Is it ok to bring them here?”

Rust: ‘They are labor robots we built to do heavy lifting. Quite a bit changed you know.’

I nod again looking at the boxes. The robots were made of steel and each were lifting large boxes with lots of gears.

They opened the large creates and brought them over. The chest opened up releasing dozens of drones who swarmed my body.

Rust: ‘These are quick repair parts made of iron. No steel since it takes longer to make and for rushed repairs it isn’t good.’

Techno: ”Good. My level was lowered to 24 so I can’t use steel parts anymore. I will need to regain them.”

Rust blinked a few times taking it in and I noticed the scan.

Rust: ‘Wow, that god’s magic sure did a number on you. Lets get you walking more or less, I'm sure you want a new body so no use keeping this on. Want to keep the ship or scrap it.’

Techno: ”Did you guys make newer stuff than this and will I be able to get one free?”

Rust: ‘I don’t think Gaia would miss one ship. Being the queen of the clockworks now she would probably want to reward you with something.[/i]

Techno: ”Then we can scrap this one. Make sure to load all the materials though. They can be reused for something else.”

I grinned hearing Gaia was the queen. I will love shutting her out when we are going to leave. I hope to see her stressed out wanting to leave with us only to see us deny her.

I let the robots fix me and watch them take the ship apart. With the quick fix I was able to get rid of that crappy trait and then I got Hino and the turtle onto the new ship. I stored everything that was ours in my inventory and then finally I picked up Bulks body and got it onto the ship again.

With the place cleared out I call Nova and we finally set out again to South gate City ready for whatever life brings us.