It sounded to Zac like corporations had sothing very similar to the Heritages of the traditional factions. But instead of Cultivation manuals and instructions on what classes and Titles to get, the Technocrat Corporations instead had manufacturing blueprints and lists of components that worked well together.
"Are everyone in your company equally strong if you have the sa components then? Sounds like a weakness for a force," Zac said skeptically.
"Well, so parts are custom made to fit with our soul frequency, and compatibility with standard components differ between people," Jaol explained. "So there will always be so differences."
"Does it matter where you buy the components from though, as long as the compatibility is high? Isn't the sa no matter where you go if all technology is old?"
"I'm sure two swords crafted by two different blacksmiths are not the sa. One might have better materials or benefit from a secret crafting technique. It's the sa with us. There are billions of Class-1 Materials out there, aning there is an almost endless number of combinations of body parts to choose from.
"A good component might perform a few percent better than a similar one from a competitor, and certain components might have a synergy that improves performance even further. These incrental advantages really tack up when you consider the number of components a single Transhuman carries. Elite Class-1 Transhumans from peak forces can easily annihilate a Mid Class-2 Transhumans with shoddy components," Jaol said.
Zac nodded in understanding, and he couldn't help but find so humor at how similar things between Technocrats and Cultivators were, even though they were of completely opposing philosophies. The situation was exactly the sa as the one he found himself in. He had gained one incrental advantage after another with the help of his titles and second class, and these small advantages had tacked up into sothing imnse by now.
There was no comparing himself with an average cultivator like the weaker Demon Warriors. He would be able to take out them by the hundreds, if not thousands, by now. The System played favorites, and the average cultivator was nothing but fertilizer for the elite few.
"So you can't change jobs if you want to keep upgrading?" Zac asked. "Because of component synergy."
"There are often so rules where we can still contract our old employer for a set amount of years after changing job, but most choose to do a large overhaul of components to reform their core if they change force. This will incur a huge cost, but it will allow them to increntally improve by swapping out components one by one again with the help of their new employer," Jaol said. "Real elites are even given welcoming packages of full component sets upon getting headhunted."
The two kept talking as they waited for the doctor to return to his office, and Zac quickly got a pretty decent understanding of the Technocrats, or at least the Machine God faction that Jaol belonged to. And just as he had expected, they werent better or worse than any other people he had encountered before.
They simply represented a different world-view compared to the factions working within the Systems rules. But it was also clear that they werent any better than the ruthless factions that could slaughter each other for a little bit of wealth.
The struggle for resources was extrely intense, and there were huge societal differences between the classes. The lower classes worked themselves to the bone to be able to upgrade to higher Classes and provide a better future for their progeny, or just to prolong their lives with the technologies that emulated the effects of Race upgrades.
anwhile, the massive corporations and families held almost all of the wealth and technology to themselves, almost making themselves into gods among n. Zac himself wasn't very convinced by Jaol's world view. Personally, he felt the System was like the weather. You couldn't control it and it sotis screwed you over, but it was part of life. It certainly had a hand in a lot of the struggle across the multiverse, but things might beco even more chaotic if it disappeared.
Zac wasnt just interrogating Jaol to make conversation and distract himself from the whispers of the Splinter, but it was also to understand the technology he had back ho. He had gotten his hands on whole production lines and massive fabricators, so he had hoped hed be able to produce massive weapons that would be able to blow The Great Redeer to kingdom co if he showed up.
But it appeared that there were multiple issues with his plan. Not only would such powerful weapons be powered by his soul, but he would also need the blueprints for that kind of weaponry. There was also the issue of his fabrication machines. The ones he owned were no doubt Class-1 fabricators, and would therefore unable to manufacture higher-class items.
Finally, there was the issue of retaliation. Small infractions didn't seem to bother the System, but if you went too big relying on technology you'd land in a heap of trouble, just like the Little Bean did by launching orbital strikes.
He also wanted to know as much as possible of how cultivation worked among technocrats to better be able to help and protect his sister. With Jeeves in her head, she could be considered a technocrat, and it looked like he would have to sohow co up with a Soul Strengthening Manual for her. Normal components put a strain on a technocrat's soul, and he could only imagine that miraculous technology like Jeeves would be even more demanding.
He even tried making Jaol download the Soul Strengthening Algorithm he used, but it seed as though there were heavy restrictions to stop any such theft. Zac also wasn't comfortable letting Kenzie onto the Neural Network because of the risk of getting exposed. At least he hoped she hadn't found her way onto the network yet. The System was blocking Earth from the multiverse, and he could only pray that it also included the network.
Unfortunately, it looked like the doctor was quite tied up sowhere, and over an hour passed without anyone entering the lab. The long bout inactivity along with the raving Splinter started to take its toll, and Zac eventually had no choice but to stab his two shoulders and resu his experints.
A fountain of blood erupted in all directions as a bronze flash burst out through his arm and decimated so machinery near-by, leaving Jaol gobsmacked at the other side of the room.
"What's taking so long?" Zac panted as his murky eyes filled with killing intent were trained on the comm's officer.
"I- ah..." Jaol stamred after he saw the outwardly unhinged actions of Zac. "I don't know. If it's alright with you I can access our network to see if anything has happened."
Zac thought for a mont before he walked over next to the comm's officer as he dragged out the bleeding daggers from his shoulders.
"Do it. No funny-business," Zac reminded.
Jaol hurriedly nodded as a screen appeared in front of him. A series of screens and rows of texts appeared in rapid succession, and Zac had no way to understand what was going on. Was this what it felt like for his grandfather when Zac set up his computer back before he passed?
"Sothing odd has happened," Jaol eventually said. "There are over ten incident reports due to mutations, causing problems all over the ship. There are usually so things that need fixing since we acquired the cargo, but not to this degree."
"The Shard has beco more active?" Zac asked with a frown.
"It seems like it," Jaol said before he shot a hesitant look at Zac. "It seed to have started shortly after you boarded the ship."
"So you don't think the Doctor will be coming back here? He's busy putting out fires?" Zac asked.
"I don't think so? He has never helped with repairs before. I think Dr. Fried is more interested in taking readings of the Shard than helping the Little Bean, but that also ans he probably will co back here to go over the results sooner or later," Jaol ventured.
Luckily they didnt have to wait too much longer as the door suddenly opened as Zac sat poised to strike. However, instead of a person a small ball flew inside, and alarm bells imdiately set off in Zacs mind.
He pushed forward to rush out of the laboratory, but his eyes widened in alarm as [Loamwalker] refused to activate. Only then did he realize that he was in outer space, whereas the skill needed to be connected to the earth to work. The ball detonated in a massive shockwave the next mont, and Zac found himself thrown into a wall as he was almost blinded by a piercing light.
His ears were ringing and he was completely blinded, but his eyes werent the only way for him to see what was going on. Dozens of fractal trees rose from the tallic ground inside the lab and the area outside the next mont, and Zac was once again inside a forest.
The augnted vision from [Hatchetmans Spirit] showed that a dozen robots were waiting outside, seemingly controlled by two Technocrats standing behind with an array of screens in front of them. There was also somber-looking Transhuman wearing a white robe spectating from behind, and Zac imdiately recognized Dr. Fried from a picture Jaol had shown him.
His conventional vision was just a blur from the grenade, but he still navigated himself outside as a storm of leaves spread out around him.
Its an intruder! one of the two guards exclaid with shock.
Had they just thought they were dealing with so corporate espionage or so curious crewmber who wanted to take a gander at the doctor's research? Zac felt he had caught a lucky break as he shot out a rapid series of Fractal Blades. The blades managed to destroy half the machines, but the remaining ones unleashed an unrelenting barrage of attacks. Both the technocrats were unscathed as well as dense shields had blocked the two strikes he had launched at them.
Zac dodged most of the attacks even if he was blind, but he found out that the projectiles automatically detonated into a kinetic storm that contained so mysterious energy that almost completely ignored the leaves of [Natures Barrier] and caused painful wounds across his body.
But to a warrior who had an effective Endurance of over two thousand, the lacerations could barely be considered a wound at all, and Verun lit up in a sanguine glow as Zac appeared right between the two controllers. A wide arc of death ended with the two Technocrats falling into puddles of blood and what looked like rcury, but Zac had already moved on to his real target.
Zac grabbed the throat of the old researcher before he had a chance to react at all. He looked pretty much like a normal human in his thirties, except for being silver. Was this the mark of higher-tier components? The chanical parts of Jaol were easily discernable, but Zac could barely tell that the throat he was gripping wasnt actually skin.
I am working for Derax Dynamics, Dr. Fried said with a calm voice as he looked into the eyes of Zac. You should know the price weve paid for retrieving this item. I do not know which force you belong to, but we will respond in kind if this mission goes awry. My private ergency vessel is untraceable and anchored at the end of that corridor, it requires no authorization to use. Leave now and this will be the end of it.
The Undead Empire would welco your companys attempts at revenge. I am sure so Lich would find your weird bodies an excellent source for experints, Zac smiled, ignoring the offer.
Blaming the Undead Empire for his actions had beco almost ingrained by now. So day Karma might co knocking, but for now they made an excellent boogieman to bla all evil on. It was less convincing when he was in his human form, but the undead probably had a bunch of living lackeys that got things done for them in the life-attuned territories.
The doctor only snorted in response, and Zacs eyes widened when the mans head disintegrated into nothing as a massive blast was released from the torso of the researcher. There was no warning at all, and Zac was flung into a wall with a searing pain in his chest. However, he had managed to activate one of the defensive charges of his robes at the last mont, which had absorbed over half of the damage.
The surprise attack wasnt the real issue though, it was the fact that the doctor seemingly had blown his own head up. How would he use the man's special authorization to get to the Shard if he was dead?
Behind you! Jaol suddenly shouted, and Zac imdiately looked back only to see a floating head fleeing in the distance.
A cannon-ball ripped through the air and knocked the head into a wall less than a second after the shout, and Zac flashed over and picked up the seemingly unconscious Dr. Fried. There was no stream of energy entering his body at least, which indicated that the technocrat was alive. In fact, he hadnt even got any energy for killing the two controllers, and Zac was starting to suspect that you needed to destroy the souls of the warriors of the Machine God faction, or at least destroy so sort of core component.
Zac looked down at the head in satisfaction as he jogged back toward Jaol. He had barely needed to use any energy to capture his target, which would allow him to go all out against the defenses surrounding the Shard.
The Machine-God faction didnt have key-cards, but this was the second-best thing. Now that he knew that the head could teleport he was also infusing it with the Fragnt of the Coffin to keep it in place, which hopefully would work with Technocrat tech as well.
As for whether the doctor was actually unconscious or acting, he didn't care. Unless the man had planted a bomb inside his head he was likely not a threat any longer. It was fine by him if he wanted to play dead as long as he managed to get past the massive security doors and their accompanying shields that were currently blocking his path.
Jaol had moved out from the lab soti during the battle, and he was currently looking at the destruction around him with dismay. Zac felt a bit bad about the fate waiting for the guy, but he suddenly had a thought.
Do you use Nexus Coins? Zac asked.
No, but we can trade them with Bits for a small fee, Jaol mumbled with a hollow voice.
Zac nodded and imdiately transferred 100 million Nexus Coins to the comms officer. Jaols eyes widened in shock, probably because 100 million Nexus Coins was more than hed make in a decade, perhaps a lifeti, at his current post.
You no longer need to stay undercover on this ship, Zac smiled as he said with a voice that carried far and wide, which quickly changed Jaols face from excitent into horror. Thank you for your assistance, I wouldnt have co this far without you. There is a ship down that corridor according to the doctor, I suggest you take it before reinforcents arrive.
With that Zac flashed away with Dr. Frieds head in his grip.
Jaol looked at the receding back of his captor with mute incomprehension for a few seconds, before his eyes turned to the two unmoving controllers on the ground. Indecision gnawed at him, but only for so long.
He rushed inside the lab and he quickly put everything valuable and untraceable into his Subspace Container. He would need every resource he could get if he had to flee to a lawless zone where Derax Dynamics wouldnt be able to find him.
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