[Location: The Eastern Continent - The Rust Belt]
[Atmosphere: Toxic Smog (Poison Damage: 5/sec)]
The sky wasn’t blue here, instead it was the color of old motor oil. The HMS Profit Margin cruised low over the wasteland. Below us, mountains of scrap tal stretched over the horizon.
"This place is disgusting," Sylvia coughed while waving away the smoke. "How do people live here?"
"They don’t live," I said while checking the sensors. "They Function like a Machine."
This was the Gearwork Empire. A nation ruled by the Cult of the Machine. They rejected flesh and magic. They worshipped the Grand Logic Core.
"We are approaching the border," I announced.
[System Warning]
[Entering Restricted Airspace.]
[Identity Scan Initiated.]
A red laser swept over the ship.
BEEP.
[Unknown Vessel Detected.]
[Magic Signatures Detected (Heretical).]
[Threat Level: Extermination.]
"They’re locking on," Ahri said, her ears flattening. "I sense... lightning."
The Tesla Coils on the wall began to hum. Blue electricity crackled, charging up a voltage that could fry a dragon.
"Glacies," I radioed the dragon who was flying escort. "Back off. You’re a big lightning rod."
"WITH PLEASURE. I HATE STATIC." The dragon peeled off into the clouds.
"Master," Sylvia gripped the railing. "Should I raise the Ice Barrier?"
"Ice conducts electricity, genius," I sighed. "No."
I walked to the bow. "I’m going to make a phone call." I pulled out my Black Gold Card.
"Wait," Seraphina blinked. "You said that card works in the North!"
"True," I grinned. "But the chip inside it?"
I tapped the card. "It uses Techno-Magic. The sa protocol the Gearworks use."
I held the card up to the scanning laser. "System Override. [Packet Injection]."
I didn’t hack the wall to open. That would trigger an alarm. I hacked the Billing Departnt.
[Target: Border Defense Grid.]
[Action: Change ’Hostile’ to ’VIP Custor’.]
[Paynt thod: Fraud paynt.]
The laser turned from Red to Green.
[Identity Confird: High-Yield Investor.]
[Welco, Platinum User.]
The massive gears groaned. The wall split open.
"We’re in finally," I said.
————————————————————
[The City of Cogs]
We landed on a steel platform that was suspended over the city.
The city was a cyberpunk nightmare of neon lights, steam pipes, and moving walkways. Cyborgs walked the streets; half-human, half-clockwork.
"Don’t stare," I warned the girls. "They consider organic eyes ’primitive’."
We walked into a bar called The Leaking Valve. It slled like grease and depression.
I sat at the bar. The bartender was a robot with a mustache painted on.
"What can I get you, at?" it beeped.
"Information," I said.
I slamd a Mana Crystal on the counter.
In this country, Mana Crystals were illegal contraband. They instead used Steam Batteries.
The robot’s optical sensors widened (zood in). "Illegal fuel," the robot whispered (lowered volu). "You looking to get scrapped?"
"I’m looking for a good chanic," I said. "I need soone who can work on spaceship."
"Go to the Corporate Sector," the robot wiped the glass. "Ask for the Iron Hands."
"No," I shook my head. "Corporates play by the rules. I need a criminal. I need Sparky."
The robot froze.
"That Mad Tinker? He lives in the Scrapyard. Sector Zero. But nobody goes there. The Scrap Golems eat the likes of you."
"That’s perfect."
I slid the crystal across the bar. "Keep the change. Buy yourself so personality."
————————————————————
[Sector Zero - The Scrapyard]
We waded through piles of junk.
Ahri kicked a rusty toaster. "Why are we here, Master? We have gold. We could hire the best."
"The ’best’ are constrained by safety regulations," I explained. "I want to put an Interstellar Drive on ship. That requires lunacy."
CLANK. CLANK.
A massive shape rose from the junk pile.
[Monster: Scrap Colossus]
[Level: 40]
[Type: Construct]
It was made of crushed machinery and hatred. "Intruders..." it ground out. "Recycle... Recycle..."
"Sylvia," I pointed. "It’s weak to Cold. tal gets brittle from it."
"Finally!" Sylvia cheered.
[Skill: Flash Freeze.]
She blasted the Colossus. The tal groaned and snapped.
I dashed in. Soul-Eater’s Fang. I slashed the joints.
CRASH. The Colossus fell apart.
[Loot: Rare Gear x5, Copper Wire.]
"We’re close," I said excitedly.
We reached a small shack made of so engine parts.
I knocked the door.
"Go away! I’m making a toaster that feels love!" a high-pitched voice scread.
"I have Aether," I shouted.
Silence. The door flew open. Standing there was a Gno. He wore six pairs of goggles. His left arm was a robotic claw. His hair was exploding.
[Na: Sparky (The Mad Tinker)]
[Class: Technomancer.]
[Status: Wanted for blowing up a moon.]
"Aether?" Sparky drooled. "Pure Aether? Let see! Let sniff it!"
I held up a vial. "I need an upgrade, Sparky."
"For what? A gun? A arm? A wife?"
"For a Ship."
I pointed up at the Profit Margin hovering above. "I want you to install a Void Engine."
Sparky looked at the ship and the vial. He did so calculations on his robotic arm. "Impossible. The hull structure is bone. The torque would shatter it. You’d need Adamantite Plating."
"I have it," I said. (I stole from the Mines).
"You’d need a Quantum Core."
"I have a Void Ring," I showed him. "We can use it as a stabilizer."
Sparky began to vibrate excitedly. "This... this is dangerous, unethical and suicidal." He grinned, revealing tal teeth. "When do we start?"
————————————————————
[The Garage]
For the next three days, we didn’t sleep at all. We worked all day.
I summoned my Shadow Slaves. They acted as forklifts who were carrying heavy tal plates.
Sparky was a whirlwind. He stripped the ship down to its skeleton. "More power!" he scread, welding a reactor to the keel. "If it doesn’t leak radiation, it’s not fast enough!"
I used [Liquidate] to turn trash into gold, buying parts from the black market. I used [System Override] to fuse incompatible parts.
[Fusion: Bone Hull Adamantite.]
[Result: Reinforced Necro-Steel.]
Sylvia enchanted the cooling systems. anwhile, Seraphina blessed the engine.
And Ahri... held the flashlight.
Finally. It was done perfectly. The ship looked different. Sleeker and darker. It humd with a low nacing whirr that vibrated in the chest.
[Ship Na: The HMS Profit Margin (Mk. I)]
[Class: Void-Cruiser.]
[Speed: Mach 5.]
[Weapons: Mana Cannons, Railguns, Undead Drop-Pods.]
[Special: Interstellar Capable (Short Range).]
Sparky wiped oil from his face. "She’s a beauty," he sniffled. "She’ll fly. But..."
"But what?"
"To break the atmosphere1... you need a Launch Code. The Gearwork Empire has a forcefield around the planet instructed and directed by Interstellar Species to stop them from getting in... and us from getting out freely. Only the Grand Logic Core has the code."
I looked at the massive tower in the center of the city. The Citadel of the Machine God. "So," I wiped my hands on a cloth. "We have to hack God."
Sparky looked extrely terrified. "You can’t hack the Logic Core! It computes a trillion variables a second! It will fry your brain instantly!"
I tapped my temple with my index finger. [Passive: Mind of the Abyss.] (Immune to any ntal damage). "My brain is already fried. It’s been asleep lately, ti for it to give it a job, Sparky. Pack your tools and all. You’re joining us."
"? Join you? I’m a fugitive!"
"Exactly."
I looked at the Tower.
"Sylvia. Prepare the Railguns imdiately. We’re going to knock on the front gate unannounced."
Firmant
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