12 A Small Adventure I

Since it's going to be a while before they are done checking to see if my work is good, I'd like to see some other places around Newton-14. Mainly being Mech suits. I've come across Starships and this shop, but I know there is more to find at this space-port. I stand up from the couch and walk towards the sliding door and leave.

I make my way through the office and enter the workshop through another sliding door. I see both Meiklare and Pleiknor working through computer data and inspecting a ship. "I'm heading out. I probably won't be back till later, so don't feel rushed." I watch them close their eyes and bow their heads slightly. I return the gesture and make my way out of the workshop and into the main store.

I head towards the exit and leave the store. As I do, there are many lifeforms all over the place. I see players going about and checking things out just as I play. There are a variety of picked races among the players. It's nice to see many didn't go with standard and humanoid races. I start to walk the path in the space-port and travel around the circular shape they built for this place.

I look around and absorb any new information I see or hear and go through it in my head as it gets stored. Many players would be jealous of the race I've gotten, and that's a great reason to stay low profile. I'm sure major guilds have already shifted to this game and are starting the grind of progress. I don't blame them either. Guilds get more done than solo players.

I wonder if The Aeternus Universe will do anything regarding the balance between solo players and guilds. Only time will tell. I love the prospect of finding things out ourselves. The more I learn, the more I understand about The Aeternus Universe. The history I learned while on their version of the internet is minuscule compared to all the history I can learn.

Who knows if I'll ever complete the quest to find my homeworld. A literal universe is what I have to search through. The quest will update once I'm space-faring, so I shouldn't say it's unlikely yet. I see a clothes store up ahead, and I'm going to admit these common blue clothes suck. I have 760 credits, and I could use a new outfit. I walk up to the store and open it.

I see many clothes that would not be common on earth. It has the subtleties of a greater universe than our own. By our own, I mean earth. As I'm looking around, I come across a set of clothes that I rather like. It's a sleek black, and its pant's along with a long sleeve shirt. It even has match dark shoes and socks. While not earth-looking, it has a humanistic essence.

I look at the price, and it says 55 Credits. That's acceptable in my current price range. While it is out of the norm for players right now, that'll probably change in a couple of days. I take the complete outfit up to the counter, and a machine comes out the back. "Welcome to Careon's Clothes Store. How may I help you today?" I place the outfit on the counter and the machine scans it.

I get a prompt from the system asking if I wish to pay. "Yes, please." I speak in response, and 55 credits are removed from my total stockpile. I look at the value in my player interface, and it reads 705 credits left. The automated nature of this is extremely convenient. The robot turns and leaves back into the back. I walk into one of the changing rooms and put the clothes on.

My tall frame makes them a little high on my body. As I look into the mirror, I watch the clothes automatically expand to match the length of my body and tighten for a comfortable level. Now that is cool, clothes that fit you no matter your size. My mind works in the news to this new information. After a couple of seconds, I learn this is nano-tech.

I apply this tech to the starship designs I have already created and develop entirely new ideas and designs. I memorize the new designs for later, and I walk out of the changing room. I walk out of the store and continue walking around the space-port. I see a group of players around a strange-looking store. There is a lot of commotion, and I make my way over. I have to push through the bigger players that chose, the more big creatures.

I look through the window and see the sign on the window. It read's. Solve the Puzzle, Win the Prize. I look past the sign and see a couple of people trying the puzzle. It's a triple-infused Pentamix, a complex Rubik's cube puzzle of the 21st century. No one in that room can solve it. As I stare at it, I see the solution.

Every time the person makes a move on it, my solution changes too. I look at the reward for solving the puzzle and see that it's a rare power core for a starship. It's B+ in quality, out of SSS+. That's very good. I implement that in the designs I already have in my head, and new possibilities open up. It's Zero Point Energy infused with Gamma locked in a Dyson sphere.

It has a very high energy output and never overheats. This is amazing. When I put it in one of my designs, many new doors open. The name of the power core is ZPE-GE-DS power core. The market price for this must be hundreds of millions of credits. It must be a scam since no normal person can solve a triple-infused Pentamix on their first try with no practice.

I walk into the store, and I stand in line. I notice the store owner is charging people to play. It is a scam. After about an hour, it's my turn. The triple-infused Pentamix sits in front of me, and the alien holds out his hand. I look at the sign next to him, and it's a 10 credit playing fee. I pay the amount and pick up the triple-infused Pentamix. There is no time limit.

The people before played for a little bit and just gave up. I start to solve it fast, using the solution in my head, and I watch the face of the store owner get worried. After 9 seconds, I set it down completely solved and finished. The short-horned alien with green skin looks at me in horror. "Now give me my reward." He takes a box out from under the counter and opens it. The power core is small, thanks to its design.

I pick it up and place it in my inventory. "You had to of cheated... There is just no way..." He says that as I leave, but I'm too happy to turn back and argue with him. I leave the shop and quickly leave the area's scene, so I don't draw any trouble. As I'm walking, I get a message from the system. This time it's different from what I usually get. Normally it's a discovery. This one is more personalized like it's talking to me.

[Congratulations, Scott!]

[You are the first player to get an item above D+ quality. You broke that by two whole grades! Normally a game would reward you for such an achievement, but not this game! You've had enough special treatment! You have no reason to complain!]

I chuckle to myself as I read the message. In truth, it's completely right. I don't have a problem with this. The ZPE-GE-DS power core I have in my inventory is worth a lot of credits. Based on what I know from extrapolating information on other parts I know and the quality of the components the power core is made of. I can say that it's 240,975,312 million credits.

Hearing the rich talk about elements and trade value helped too. I'm not going to sell the power core. That would be absolutely idiotic. I'm going to develop a new ship on all the information I've come across today. That nano-tech would need a powerful energy source. I have it now. Now all I need is to get my hands on nano-tech. I'm not committing to this idea, but I do like it.

I have places I can look for nanites, but I doubt any that I would need would be sold to the public. The nanite tech in my shirt can be modified to suit my needs, so I need to buy these types of nanites in bulk. I can think about this as I continue looking around.

I still haven't come across any stores for mechs yet, but I know there must be one at this space-port. There is an 82.2% chance one is here. I like those odds. I continue walking and absorbing information, and after some time, I see a new crowd of players. They are standing in front of a shop. I look at the sign displaying what's inside, and I see a mech suit. I found what I'm looking for.