Oath of the Survivor

Kyle could barely contain his excitement as he finished his walk home.  He opened the door to his apartment and settled into the large chair he’d had delivered.  He ordered some food to be delivered – more of the vegetable-stuffed pancakes he’d grown to love – and opened a screen to check available times for his Practicum. 

The tests were held three times per cycle, which equated to roughly one every six Earth weeks.  There was a balance to the scheduling – one could take time to prepare, or take it sooner and try to carry forward their momentum.  For Kyle, it wasn’t even a question.  He saw space available for the next slot in just over a week’s time and selected it.  More time to sit, study, and prepare simply wasn’t going to give him more of an edge.

“What do you think, C.H.A.D.D.?  Am I being too aggressive with the timing?”

[FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, I DON’T BELIEVE IT WILL BE AN ISSUE, DR. MAYHEW.]

A notification came through, and Kyle walked to his door, where a box stacked high with pancakes waited for him.  It came with a spicy sauce, which he liberally applied as he ate, the springy vegetables contrasting with the soft fluffy cake around them. 

Kyle spoke between bites, savoring the flavor of the food.  “Can you give me a summary of everything we know about the Practicum?”

[CERTAINLY, DR. MAYHEW.  THE PURPOSE THE PRACTICUM IS TO FIELD TEST CANDIDATES BEFORE THEY ARE OFFERED AUTHORITY TO OPERATE AS INDEPENDENTS THROUGH THE VARIOUS GUILDS.  A CANDIDATE’S PERFORMANCE WILL BE SPECTATED BY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE GUILDS, AND WILL ALLOW THEM TO BEGIN ALLOCATING JOBS FAIRLY QUICKLY.]

Kyle finished chewing and swallowed a mouthful before responding.  “What about the Practicum itself?  What do we know about the different phases and challenges?”

[DETAILS HAVE BEEN VAGUE, THOUGH IT SEEMS THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL PHASE IS DESIGNED TO TEST FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT.  IN THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, IT DID APPEAR THAT THERE IS A FATALITY RATE IN ADDITION TO A FAILURE RATE, SO IT IS SAFE TO ASSUME THAT THERE WILL BE A DEGREE OF PHYSICAL DANGER.]

Kyle frowned.  The Verdant Republic had a lot of paperwork, and he didn’t remember reading about fatalities when he enrolled.  Given that licensure was only open to individuals at D Grade or above, that wasn’t something to scoff at.  “Do you know what the fatality rate is?”

[EIGHT PERCENT, DR. MAYHEW.  THAT IS MEASURED DIFFERENTLY THAN THE FAILURE RATE, WHICH IS THIRTY-SIX PERCENT.]

Kyle nodded as he absently chomped down on the final bites of his dinner.  There was a degree of risk involved, though he didn’t feel any real unease.  If there was one thing Kyle was confident in, it was his ability to survive through challenges.  From his experiences with Corthian Mining and fighting the D Grade monsters on Earth, Kyle had truly come to appreciate how resilient he was.

That didn’t mean he would be able to let down his guard, of course.  “What do we know about the phases themselves?  Was there anything in the documents that offered specifics?”

[NOTHING MATERIAL, DR. MAYHEW.  ONLY THAT WE WILL BE TELEPORTED OFF-WORLD, AS THERE WERE SEVERAL CLAUSES CONFIRMING CONSENT TO LEAVE AREAS DIRECTLY CONTROLLED BY THE VERDANT REPUBLIC.]

Thank goodness for the goblins and their rules, Kyle thought.  Other factions likely wouldn’t have included such detailed waivers, but the goblins were big on processes.  There was one question left, though he felt confident he knew the answer.  “Am I allowed to bring gear with me?”

[YOU ARE, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SIZE LIMITATIONS.  BEAST TAMER TYPES ARE ALSO ALLOWED TO BRING BONDED COMPANIONS, ASSUMING THEY FIT ON THE TRANSPORTERS.]

Kyle couldn’t help but think about the Endless, and how comical it would be to see somebody trying to bring a creature that size along for the practicum.  Not that the Endless was a beast that many D Grades could have tamed in the first place, of course.  He considered the general lack of information, and what he could determine from the pieces he had.  

First, the goal was to test the application of various principles they’d covered through his courses.  That meant that each phase would likely have a “win” and “loss” condition tied directly to whether or not he followed the rules.  Secondly, because there was physical danger involved, Kyle assumed that along the way there would be either environmental or combat-related trials that could pose a threat to a D Grade.  Lastly, due to the persistently high failure rate, it was clear that mastery of the prerequisite coursework wasn’t enough on its own to assure success.

Comfortable with his grasp of the basics, he started making a list of things to prepare before he reported for his practicum.

• Buy body armor
• Buy dry rations
• Buy a durable canteen
• Buy some plants

His credit balance wouldn’t be thrilled, though Kyle was confident he’d have income flowing in soon enough.  Kyle spent the next hour or so looking up the various shops in his district, even expanding the search across other districts under the Verdant Republic’s purview.  Even though he could likely find more variety under the Grey Conglomerate’s wing, Kyle felt it was best to stick with purchases that he could be confident were within all Collective regulations.  He didn’t foresee any issues, but didn’t want to tempt fate, after all. 

Satisfied with the next day’s shopping arrangements, Kyle got ready for bed.  Lying down, he closed his eyes, excitement still coursing through him.  It felt as though his world had opened up once again, and he was ready to go experience it.  With thoughts of challenge in his head, he drifted off to sleep.

Waking the next day, it felt odd not having study material to review.  Kyle rose, washed, and put the C.H.A.D.D.pack over his shoulders as he left his room, munching on a meat-filled pastry as he did.  By the time he got to the lobby, the savory snack was consumed, and Kyle stepped onto the teleportation platform, warping to a shopping area on the opposite side of District 7.  His nav bracelet indicated the direction, and Kyle made his way through large groups of goblins and skrell until he found the place he’d been looking for – The Emerald Armory.

The structure rivaled the size of the Institute, though the form was much more utilitarian.  Entryways surrounded the circular structure, whose dome dominated the horizon.  The exterior was made of a dark green metal, almost black in color, and there were no windows.  For a moment, Kyle wasn’t sure if he was walking into a store or a fortress. 

Kyle entered through the front door, and immediately stopped, taking in the sights.  It was as if he was looking at a giant vending machine, with what looked to be a cross between an elevator and monorail shuttling customers and equipment across the complex at high speeds. 

A goblin wearing a formal uniform and hat stood behind the counter just inside the doors.  He saw Kyle staring, and called out to him.  “First time in?”

The voice snapped Kyle out of his reverie.  “That easy to tell, huh?  This place is massive.”

The goblin snorted.  “That’s putting it lightly.  Welcome to The Emerald Armory.  What are you here for?”

Kyle felt a subtle surge in the aura around the goblin, and was surprised to feel hints of a D Grade presence.  “I’m looking for some body armor, preferably D Grade if you have anything available.”

“We certainly do, though we’ll need to confirm available credits and Grade before we can authorize you to enter the D Grade floors.”

Kyle frowned, but still pulled up his available credits through the nav bracelet.  The goblin looked at them and nodded, then pulled out a device that released a pulse of mana.  Looking at the results, he gestured for Kyle to step into a nearby train car that was coming towards the entrance and slowing to a stop.

Kyle’s curiosity got the best of him, and he turned to the goblin before stepping into the car.  “Why don’t you use transporters?  And it’s pretty clear you’re in D Grade as well, why are you at the doors?”

The goblin smiled, showing a row of pointed white fangs.  “There’s a reason The Emerald Armory is among the premier suppliers of equipment across the Hub.  We’re discrete, we’re efficient, and nobody steals from us.  Consider me part of the last line of defense.”

Before Kyle could ask anything further, a gentle wave of force pushed him into the train car, which abruptly rocketed skyward, away from the platform.  As it rose, Kyle watched the ground shrink beneath him.  More cars just like his whizzed about, and Kyle’s appreciation for their business model grew.  From what he could see, these were the only exits to the outside.  If somebody did try to steal anything, it would be much easier to lock a system like this down. 

Soon, the car stopped ascending.  Kyle estimated he was about two thirds of the way towards the top of the structure, though he had to catch his footing as the car rocketed laterally, deeper into the heart of The Emerald Armory.  He was about to ask C.H.A.D.D. if the drone knew where they were, when the car started to slow and an alert popped up on his nav bracelet. 

YOU ARE NOW ARRIVING AT THE D GRADE BODILY PROTECTION LEVEL.  PLEASE WAIT AFTER EXITING THE SHUTTLE, EMERALD ARMORY PERSONNEL WILL GREET YOU SHORTLY.

Kyle did as he was asked, stepping out of the shuttle to a quaint waiting area.  The floor was made of small green hexagons, which rose to form a chair.  Kyle sat, and just a minute later another D Grade goblin walked out to greet him.  “Mr. Mayhew, a pleasure to meet you.  My name is Fell’zorre, and I’ll be helping you in your search today.  Tell me what you had in mind.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Fell’zorre.  I’m looking for some all-purpose combat armor, something that won’t sacrifice mobility but that can still take a hit.”

Fell’zore nodded, pulling up several screens from his own nav bracelet.  “Are you primarily concerned with physical damage, mana-based attacks, or looking for something that can handle both?”
Kyle nearly answered asking for both, but thought better of it.  His body had developed incredible resilience to most types of physical damage – it was the mana-based attacks that he’d struggled against the most.  “I’m more interested in mana protection, though I want to have at least a little physical protection, too.”   

The goblin waved the different screens around, and gave a grunt.  “I see several pieces here that could be a good fit.  What biome considerations should we be accounting for?”

“None in particular.  I’m really looking for a staple piece that can be used anywhere.”

More nodding and grumbling came from Fell’zore as he dismissed some of the screens and pulled up several others.  Finally, he looked back up at Kyle.  “Follow me, Mr. Mayhew.  I believe that you’ll like what we have to offer.”

Kyle was ushered back to a changing area, where two sets of armor and clothing sat floating in tubes.  The first set looked like a direct upgrade to the combat armor he’d purchased from Corthian Mining, with sleek lines and great coverage.  He activated IDENTIFY on the armor, seeing multiple plates worked into the torso and shoulders with mana-diffusive properties.  Kyle recognized self-repair rune formations active within the armor, and had no doubt it would be an exceptional piece.

His breath caught, however, upon seeing the second set of armor.  The protection seemed lacking compared to the first, with the armor providing little more than a vest, bracers, and boots.  They were a simple silver with notes of brown, and IDENTIFY showed a passive field around the set, offering a lightly insulated bubble.  It was certainly more geared towards mana defenses, though what caught Kyle’s attention the most was the material.  The core of this armor was wood.  Even now, he could feel the whispers of dormant life inside the various pieces of armor.

“What is this one made of?” Kyle asked, attention fully drawn to the wooden armor.

Fell’zore pulled up a screen and read the notes.  “It says here that the core of the material was harvested from a stonebloom

 bush, an invasive foliage that can be found on many arid planets.  It’s a D Grade plant that has properties which dispel mana, making environmental reclamation difficult.  As you can imagine, it also creates difficulties getting inscriptions to stick.”

“So you’re saying it’s defective armor?”

“Not at all, just that it’s a particularly unique piece.”

“How much do you want for it?”

“Seeing as it’s been here for quite a while, we’ll settle for two hundred and thirty-three thousand credits.”

Kyle winced upon hearing the number.  He expected buying armor like this would be expensive, though he hadn’t budgeted that high.  “How about one hundred ninety-five thousand?”

Fell’zore gave him a flat look.  “This isn’t a negotiation.  We understand the value of D Grade equipment, and won’t settle for less.”

Kyle sighed.  Worth a shot.  “I’ll take it.”