Slatepocalypse: Unlocked Arcanum

“I’m going to need a minute. Did you have multiple class choices, maybe one with a rainbow outline around the words, Rubio? Surprisingly, that takes a lot out of me. I need to check my messages really quick,” replied CJ to an impatient Elena.

New Title Gained: Repairman- You have mended someone else’s slate interface for the first time. While this title is equipped you will see a dark outline around the heads of people with malfunctioning slates.

CJ was shocked to see the title message. So shocked he didn’t maintain control over his face, drawing concerns from the others in the room. He managed to waive them off as he continued reading his prompts.

As the first person in this world to acquire a non-combat title, you have earned an additional attribute point that can not be spent on a physical attribute.

You have one unassigned, mental only, attribute point.

Now that was the real kicker. The slate was dictating what he could use the point for. He would have to ask Monty later if that was normal. Based on what Wukong told him, he was definitely going to spend the point in Intelligence. That would bring him up to a twenty four. CJ hadn’t experimented with most of his spells yet and making it harder to resist them sounded like a good idea.

“Yes, the Rifleman had a rainbow sheen to it. What does that mean?” asked Rubio.

“I’m not sure. I think that makes them special somehow. Maybe Monty knows something about,” said CJ as he noticed Elena’s crossed arms.

“Sorry, I just got a wah wah. Shit, you won’t be able to understand me. I think I’m ready to go again. Are you set?” asked CJ.

“Yeah, cabron. Let’s do this,” replied Elena, obviously trying to psych herself up.

CJ stood up and approached her while Rubio was still familiarizing himself with his own slate. Elena looked deep into CJ’s eyes as he placed his hands on the sides of her head. Then CJ felt his mana react. That same feeling traveled up his arms and into his hands before plunging into Elena’s mind. Only this time the sensation was slightly different. CJ’s arms weren’t as cold, and the rush of energy wasn’t as violent. The power just poured into her as if from a pitcher into a half full glass of water. The violent nature of forcing a change like he felt with Rubio was completely absent. CJ released his hands with the slightest tingle of blue energy racing between his fingers.

“Did it work?” asked CJ, while still looking at the energy surging around his fingers.

“I believe it has. This is amazing. You said rainbow outlines, right?” she asked before getting a nod from CJ.

“What does it say? You may want to consider them all before you make a choice. I don’t know if you can change it later,” commented CJ.

“I already picked one. Chainsaw Knight,” spoke Elena before a bright light emanated from inside one of the duffel bags she brought out of the van.

Elena went over to it immediately and opened it. As the zipper pulled down the length of the bag the light started to dim. She pulled out a gas powered chainsaw with a gleaming silver blade. It was no longer than two feet long from the engine to the blade tip. More than enough to length to keep enemies from coming in close. She lifted the device as if it were weightless and shoved her arm through the cross bar before twirling it around. The grin on her face could be seen from space.

“Uh… that’s definitely unique. Did it come with any cool abilities?” asked CJ.

“What? Oh right. My slate says I can power the saw with stamina points should I run out of fuel. It also says something about me naming it. Hang on I have another ability called Puerto Rico Chain Saw Massacre. Holy shit, it increases sharpness for ten minutes allowing me to cut through almost anything. I can only use it once per day though. I wonder why that is,” she pondered before sitting down to read the rest of her prompts.

“Probably an oh shit ability. Like you only use it when you have too. That class seems wild. I recommend you all get some sleep,” said Monty standing in the doorway.

“I will take watch. Elena and I will stay in here. You and the rabbit can take the break room,” suggested Rubio forcefully.

“But the break room doesn’t have a door… Okay. Come on Monty, I can take a hint,” said CJ in response.

“No, you can’t. That’s why he had to tell your dumb ass,” sneered Monty hopping his way back to the kitchen area.

Monty decided to watch over CJ while he slept, telling him he’d wake him up in four hours to take over. CJ slept the sleep of the dead. When Monty shook him awake, he yawned like he hadn’t slept in years. Then he noticed a few pellets on his chest. He quickly flicked them off of himself before scrabbling up to his feet. He then looked around for the little asshole noticing he wasn’t in the kitchen anymore. Not wanting to start the day with extra-large rabbit shit on his shirt, the went over to the sink hoping the water still worked. It did not. That meant he could use his bottled water or check the toilet tank in the employee bathroom further down the hall.

CJ grabbed a few paper towels from the dispenser on the wall before deciding to empty out the dispenser entirely and shove the individual sheets into his sleeve. You never know when you’ll need a paper towel, he thought to himself. Then he ventured down the hall. He could see rays of sunlight peeking through the storefront windows. It had to be just after dawn. Time was relatively meaningless this many weeks after the world went to shit. Upon opening the door, his nostrils were immediately assaulted by the stench of death. There was a dead body in the corner of this two stall bathroom with one urinal. On the back wall were steel rungs that lead up to a hatch in the ceiling. Between the urinal and the stalls was a headless corpse cradling a shotgun. To get to either of the toilets, CJ would have to cross over the body. With the sinks on his left and the first of two stalls on his right, he very carefully stepped over the body to enter the stall. Once there, he took the tank lid off to find what was left of the tank water.

He dabbed one of his paper towels in the tank. That simple act made the water in the tank slosh enough that some grey crud caked up along the interior walls fell into the water. CJ having had enough of this excursion and running out of the breath he was holding, he noticed one of those large industrial toilet paper roll dispensers. He took the lid off carefully and found it was mostly full. Recalling the fact that back at the reservoir, TP was in short supply and was trading at highly marked up prices, he jammed the end of the roll into his left sleeve. It began to spin the roll at high speeds, but CJ was adamant not to take another breath while in here. He pulled the roll out of the dispenser and shoved his right arm through the center hole. Then he made a break for the door.

With a wet paper towel in his left hand and an extra-large roll of spinning TP on his right arm, pulled the door shut tight before inhaling a wondrous breath of clean air. At that point he turned to his right to see Monty, Rubio, and Elena all standing in the hallway just after leaving the office.

“Morning. If you need to go, I suggest holding it until we get to the next rest stop,” explained CJ before the roll finished spinning leaving a cardboard tube on his arm.

“Clean yourself up. You’re embarrassing me,” said Monty as he hopped past CJ.

“I’m embarrassing you. You’re the little bastard that… never mind,” replied CJ as he hurriedly turned away from everyone to wipe the mess on his shirt.