Carnival - A LitRPG Apocalypse

Teamchat:

Kathryn: You guys ready yet? Dad’s about to port us over!

Kevin: Me and Mum are on Blue street already.

Bahadur: We’ll be there in two minutes, just getting to the portal in the Downs.

Sally: Can’t believe you guys live in that dump!

Bahadur: I like it!

Kevin: It does smell a bit like wet dog all the time.

Bahadur: Zeeg is always about so it’s one of the safest places in Wayfaire!

Kathryn: Dad’s just called me! I’ll be there in a second. Time to go shopping ladies and gentleman!

Kevin: I never thought you’d be one to get excited about going shopping.

Kathryn: We’re getting our first set of gear! Don’t be such a downer Kev!

Ryn appeared by the longhouse in central Wayfaire standing next to her dad. It was still early on a Saturday morning so the wide roads weren’t as packed with people as they would be in an hour. Her dad was in his full combat get up for some reason while she was sporting a short sleeved top and a skirt with bees embroidered across it, both fireproof. Over her shoulder was the bag containing her Academy issued gear John had insisted she bring along, despite its imminent obsolescence.

The first person she spotted was Kev, naturally. His auburn hair was bobbing towards them a good foot over most of the people around him. Ryn caught his eye and waved. He smiled and threaded his way through the crowd. His mum was much shorter and very heavy set, an almost direct opposite to her son.

“Baron, nice to see you and thanks for suggesting we all go together,” Jane said as Kev stooped down and began a heated muttering between himself and Ryn off to one side.

“It’s no problem Jane. The kids are a team now. Soon they’ll be off on the grind and they should all be as safe as we can make them,” John replied with a slight smile. He was trying not to make his scars writhe on his right cheek and disturb the woman anymore than she clearly already was.

As a mid level bureaucrat she had very little dealings with Signatories of the Accords and John was well aware how intimidating his appearance was in the minds of most people when wearing his combat gear.

“How is the Department doing? You’re in the building division, I think?” he asked politely.

“Ecological management. We’ve got some fantastic projects coming up. Gerald has suggested we combine the monstrous vegetation with a strictly controlled low-level population of Dobryhovno to boost fertility. It would cut the Agrarian Guild’s dependence on relatively expensive fertilisers,” she enthused, happy to be able to talk about something close to her heart. If she could get John to back the plan it would make things a lot easier to push through senior management and actually get something done.

“How is Gerald? I haven’t seen him for months,” asked John, remembering the old gardener who had ended up feeding most of England as the guild of farmers the venerable man founded had expanded.

“He is well. He’s very excited about this project. The Dobryhovno project should drop the cost for system veggies at least a point and a half, making them nearly as affordable as terrestrial plants-”

“Bad and Sally have just come through their portals. They’ll be here in a minute,” said Kev, having noticed John’s eyes were starting to glaze over at Jane's persistence. Ryn smirked at her dad and stuck out her tongue at him.

“Jane, this project sounds like something I’d support if I can. Can you pass the details to Sharon for me? I’ll let her know to expect a note from you if that’s ok?” Jane beamed at him and nodded happily. “We never really found a slot for a psyker in the Carnival. I can see how useful they are even outside of combat. Can you sense animals and monsters as well?” John asked the lanky teen.

“Yes, it’s like… well it’s hard to explain. Miss Jasmine has been very helpful in supporting me coming to terms with it,” Kev still sounded depressed when he talked about his power.

“Is she still doing the crystal ball shtick?” John asked as Ryn waved at Bad and Sally, each dutifully towing a parent, to guide them to the streetside conclave.

Kev nodded unhappily and John laughed. “Did I ever tell you about the time we went to get Pete and a naga checked out? We weren’t sure if they could be mind controlled and-”

“Hi guys!” Ryn interrupted loudly as Bad and Sally arrived. “Well, the party has gathered, how about we go shopping?”

John took the hint and after greeting Amit and Kelly, Sally’s mum, they began to thread their way through Blue street to the central portal, above which floated a veritable swarm of dayglo neon drones with signs hanging beneath them extorting everyone to “Shop smart, shop Bob-smart”.

Amit was in his pale green version of John’s armour and sight of the pair moving together largely cleared the road ahead of them. People in Wayfaire were used to seeing Signatories, being the primary logistics hub for the planet and the off-world colonies meant the population were a lot more comfortable around powerful people than less cosmopolitan locales, but the sight of the armour still served to grant them a lot of automatic respect.

“So have you decided what other powers you’re looking for?” Jane asked the teens.

“We need a healer first. Then some support and more DPS,” said Sally.

“Dad, can you swing us an Ascension healer?” Ryn asked.

“Your Mum’s against it but I’m trying to talk her round, they’re the very best after all,” said John thoughtfully.

“I for one don’t like those cultists. I know they are good but the crazy outweighs that!” said Kelly with a sniff.

“Mum, who do you want patching us up? Some second-rater from the Imperium?” said Sally.

“Why do you have to get someone from outside the Academy? You could just wait until one of your classmates gets a good healing power,” Kelly replied in a reasonable tone.

“That could take months! Maybe even years! No way can we wait that long!” Sally grumbled. John shared a brief look with Amit. Kelly was clearly interested in delaying the time her daughter went off to the grind. He could sympathise but it was a fool's errand. If they didn’t get to go and start levelling soon the kids would be sneaking about and end up in real trouble.

“What about support abilities?” asked Amit, trying to defray the imminent teenage rebellion.

“Geokinetic for sure,” said Kev. “Maybe a hydromancer too?” He glanced at his friends for confirmation.

“Geokinetic is probably best. We definitely need someone with a pocket dimension though,” suggested Ryn.

“Yeah, no way am I lugging hundreds of corpses back for harvesting!” said Bad.

“Who said you’ll be doing the lugging? I’m just as strong as you are!” snapped Sally.

“You want to trudge around with bloody corpses draped over your shoulders?” Bad replied amicably. Sally reconsidered and shook her head.

“That’s one for the Jar, Bad!” Ryn smirked.

“That doesn’t count! It was a description not a swear word! Bloody as in dripping with blood” Bad quickly replied. Ryn reluctantly nodded to concede the point.

“Why not find someone with harvesting powers to join the team?” asked Jane.

“Not worth giving up a combat spot for. They don’t tend to be good fighters anyway,” said Kev. John nodded at the words. The team needed to be dedicated fighters.

They threaded their way through the few who failed to notice John and Amit until they arrived outside the main portal to Bob’s Magitech Emporium, the premium purveyor of technology and tinkered products both on and off Earth. A shiny mannequin was standing next to the door calling out deals and bantering with passers-by.

“Morning you lot! Looking for a deal- Hi folks.” The semi mechanical patois was cut off as a server Bob took control of the construct. “Come on through, we’ll get my favourite niece and her mates kitted out good and proper!”

“Busy today Bob?” asked Amit.

“Not yet but we will be. I’ve got some fitting rooms set aside for you all anyway. Go through and I’ll meet you there.” They thanked the bot and walked through, appearing deep underground in the main trading floor of BME.

The vast space was lined with tables manned by mannequins and swarms of drones flew overhead ferrying parcels back and forth as Bob accepted raw materials or sold finished products. The room echoed with the sound of arguments, haggling and friendly conversation. It was familiar to all of them so they moved quickly away from the portal exit to make room for people following them. An aubergine coloured B-800, incredibly antiquated compared to Bob’s current lines of bots, waved from nearby and they hurried over.

“Nice to see you all. I’ve set aside the Sycamore Lounge for you guys. There’s five fitting rooms attached and it will give you some privacy away from the hoi polloi. Refreshments and catalogues are ready and waiting for you. John, you remember the place? It’s where we did Evie’s last upgrades.”

“I remember it. Thanks Bob,” said John in an embarrassed voice. The lounges were reserved for Bob’s wealthiest and most influential customers, usually booked out for months in advance. Bob must have pissed someone off to free up the suite for them. Jane and Kelly would never gain access to those facilities under normal circumstances. John blipped the kids and Amit into the lounge and took a moment.

“Ladies, there is no obligation for you. Please consider this my treat, whatever your kids want I’ll cover it.” He blushed and his scars stood out as white lines on his cheek. “It’s not altruism. Kev and Sally are going to be levelling with Ryn. The stronger they are the safer she is but if you aren’t comfortable or… I’m sorry. I’m not handling this well. Please let me pay? It will make all of them much safer as they start the grind.”

“You aren’t like I imagined,” muttered Jane. “Thanks, Traveller. That’s very generous of you.” Kelly added her gratitude.

“John, please! And I get that a lot. Not being what people think I should be, I mean. Thank you both.” The three vanished and appeared in the lounge. Amit raised an eyebrow at John who shrugged as the colour faded from his cheeks. The teens had thrown themselves into the luxurious seating after grabbing plates of snacks to nibble on as they browsed the catalogues stored in Bpads.

“We should go for the bone bracers. At least for you and Sally,” Ryn told Bad authoritatively. Sally shrank down a bit, her face was pale from the prices showing on the upgrades she wanted.

“It’s my treat, kids , so whatever you want, within reason, is fine. Bone braces aren’t as good as total replacements,” called John.

“We know Dad! We can’t get replacements until we stop growing. It isn’t like we’ve all spent cringly years planning for this moment!” Ryn laughed. “Nerve lacing for all of us? We’re going to need HUD implants as well,” she finished turning back to her friends and a heated discussion ensued as they bickered over what they each thought the others should get.

“Swapping in stupid words instead of swearing is the same as swearing. We all know what you mean,” he grumbled as he walked across the cream coloured room.

The adults sat down facing the screen on the wall and talked quietly among themselves. Sometimes they were called on to settle a dispute but the B-800 was playing referee for the teens and keeping them on track.

“No, the Brutal pattern has the same servo motors as the Venture pattern. The difference is in the weight of armour so while they are just as strong as each other the Venture is faster. Sally, that isn’t a good choice for a bruisers sidearm. You want the Bobinator series of autopistols, not a Hail revolver. I know you prefer that kind of firearm, I’ve seen your scores kid and you need weight of fire not heavy hits that need accuracy. Bad, that isn’t feasible until you finish growing. I know the forearm blades are a staple of Signatories. You haven’t even started the grind yet! You’ll get there lad but not yet. Ryn, you really should consider something a bit more- ah shit. Excuse me,” the B-800 cut himself off, leaving the teens to continue bickering and picking out equipment.

The drone hurried across the room towards the door that John had bypassed when they arrived. As the B-800 got close it suddenly jumped backwards as lines of burning fire appeared around the outline of the plush wooden door, melting through the metal housing. It fell into the room with a loud thud. Jane and Kelly jumped to their feet and turned towards the sound. John and Amit just craned their heads slightly so they could get line of sight on the disturbance.

Beyond the door was a tall man with an athletic build. His right foot was extended out horizontally, having been used to kick the door out of his way. He had long dark hair, instantly making John take a dislike to the man, and wore an intricately patterned, deep purple suit.

“That’s three drones and a fucking door you owe me!” bellowed the B-800 as it bustled forward to block the hole.

“Monsieur. I had this room booked five months ago! It is unacceptable that some peasants-” he waved a hand at Kelly and Jane, “-should have the pull to supplant my house! I demand you remove these people and I expect a sizable discount for the trouble!” The French accent was thick. Behind the arrogant man stood a youth with studied indifference. John focussed and noted the micro expressions and minor twitches that showed the boy wasn’t happy with the elder man's behaviour.

“Comte, this isn’t acceptable.” Bob had regained his composure. “Your business is valued but I will blacklist you if you do not return to the main hall. The room will be available in an hour. I apologise for the delay in outfitting your heir but it was unavoidable.”

The Comte strode past and brushed the B-800 aside with casual strength. “Armand, come here. Ladies, if that is what you are, for some reason this machine has insulted me in your favour. I have no wish to make this a diplomatic incident but I will if necessary. Would it be possible for you to… vacate…” his voice wound down as John and Amit stood and turned to face him.

“Comte de Loires. I trust we can settle this in a friendly fashion?” said Amit darkly.

“Ah. It seems I may have overstepped. Apologies, Signataires. Monsieur Gillybrook, I will reimburse you for the damage and wait for the room to be free.”

“No need. You’re here to outfit your boy?” asked John, receiving a curt nod from a carefully blank faced Comte. The arrogant man was currently the leader of the Court, making him a very powerful noble on the continent. Not quite a king but not far off. Although they had never met personally, John had had to hunt down the man’s nephew a couple of years ago. The boy’s name escaped him at the moment but John had a fairly strongly held opinion that rapists got the chop. The Comte had used his influence to get the punishment commuted to collaring and hard labour. Letting the spoiled shit live had left a bad taste in John’s mouth at the time.

“Merci. Armand, please join the other children.” The Comte walked gracefully over to the chair furthest from the other adults and sat down. He crossed his legs, rested both hands on top of his knee and studiously stared straight ahead at the wall. Jane and Kelly both sat down, Amit began chatting casually with them but they kept shooting worried looks at the noble.

Ryn used Identify on the father and son.

Name: Armand Aubert

Level: 24

Ability: Pyrogenesis

Huh. The kid's dad had the same power her mum had started out with.

Name: Armand Aubert II

Level: 3

Ability: Now you see me

“So what’s your power?” asked Sally as Armand sat down next to them.

Armand produced a tray of pastries, took one for himself and offered them round. “It’s kind of a cross between a summoner and an illusionist. What’s Rapid Fire Spitter do? Do you spit acid or something?” The boy's voice was soft and almost devoid of an accent, only a hint around the vowel sounds betrayed his francophone heritage.

“It’s a bruiser skill. Physical and reflex enhancement so far but I’m sure I’ll get some mods to pad it out,” said Sally confidently.

“Did you summon these?” asked Ryn, spraying crumbs around her as she stuffed the delicious baked food into her mouth.

“Non. I have a storage space. You attend the Academy?” he asked politely not focussing on the table manners of his companions.

“Yeah, we grew up here. I haven’t seen you there?” said Bad.

“I have not started yet. I will be joining next week. My father refused to let me attend until I received an Essence.”

“How did you ess-up?” asked Sally, helping herself to another pastry.

"I did not. I was given my Essence.” The boy sounded a bit sheepish.

“How old are you, Armand?” Ryn asked gently.

“I’m twelve, Miss Borrows.”

“Tall for your age aren’t you? Stuff the formality! Call me Ryn. So what kind of gear are you looking for?”

The children resumed their intense debate about the gear they wanted, Armand slipping naturally into the role of mediator as Kev and Bad continually bickered about the others' choices.

Teamchat:

Kathryn: I like him. His power would fit well. We need distractions and summons are super rare!

Kevin: Yeah he’s ok, I guess.

Bad: I agree with Ryn. Sally?

Sally: Who wants to make the offer?

Ryn: I’ll do it after we get the gear?

Armand didn’t fail to notice the sudden quiet and glazed eyes on his new companions but was polite enough not to make an issue about it. As Ryn and her friends resumed their arguments he continued to gently intercede and defray any budding disputes.

After a while the B-800 cleared his throat, despite being a machine, and interrupted them.

“Look I know this could go on all day if I let it but I think we’re about as close to a decision as you’re going to get. I’ll summarise and if you disagree let me know. Bone braces, model nine neuro implants and nerve lacing for all of you. Two Brutal pattern armours, two Ranger patterns and one Pyroclast model. One Bobinator Three autopistol and four Slingshot type four hand cannons. Five type fourteen combat knives-”

“No Bob. Bahadur will soon be able to summon his own kukri.” Amit’s voice suggested this wasn’t open to discussion.

“Amit, if he gets collared or runs out of reserves he’ll need a bloody physical blade. Besides there’s no guarantee he’ll get that mod. Just because all your mates did, it doesn’t mean it’s heritable so shut up and let me do my thing,” Bob replied harshly. Amit grumbled but sank back into his seat. The right side of the Comte’s mouth curved upwards ever so slightly.

“Where was I? Five type fourteen blades and the same number of standard combat support packs that hook to the belts and backs of the armour. Medkits, emergency rations, beacons etc etc. Have I forgotten anything?” the B-800 asked the teenagers. They all shook their heads.

“Very well.” Bob waved a mechanical arm and the doors to the five “fitting rooms” opened revealing the crucifix shaped coffins within. “Time for you to get some upgrades. We can discuss the colour palette for the gear afterwards. John, I’ll invoice you,” the drone finished as the kids rushed into a room apiece.

You set up the Comte to introduce Armand to the kids didn’t you? John silently sent to his friend while nodding at the Bob-bot.

Of course I did. Armand’s got talent and he’s a good kid despite his dad not understanding the second golden rule. He’ll be a useful addition to their team, Bob sent back.