The FAQ and Spirit
"Victor, can you go out and buy me some snacks?" Daisy asked in a sweet, doting voice. "Pretty please?"
"Why not get some from the fridge outside?" He nonchalantly pointed at the two-meter tall food vending machine outside the door while his eyes fixed on his phone.
"I want something hot." Her eyes twinkled. "And patients are not allowed to get out."
"The vending machine can reheat it for you." Victor retorted with a heavy tone.
"You see, I'm borned from an old-fashioned couple, so I prefer the old-fashioned way." She slowly said, word per word and charmingly blinked her eyes at Victor. "So you better buy me a freshly cooked food from the canteen or cook for me. Pleaaaase."
The young butler sighed. He knew this girl was up to something but went out, trusting she wouldn't do anything to harm herself.
"Good riddance. Now, I can focus on this odd thing in front of me." She told herself with a smirk.
The projected monitor displayed.
[Announcement]
[Half of the requirements have been met, but you still qualify to receive the Greatest Inventor System. Do you wish to accept it? This system will self-destruct in five minutes, unless you accept it. (Yes) (No) Please choose.]
[Timer: 00:03:59]
'What? Two minutes have passed? Come on. Give me a break. So the countdown must have started after it opened…"
She watched the virtual screen closely. It had no symbol from the hospital, unlike theirs, to signify the ownership or the brand who created it. But this one had none.
"Hmm, is this really part of the hospital's AI? Why will it self-destruct? That's quite absurd. It will harm the patient if it does."
Daisy flinched back, partly in a panic, thinking that this would blow the whole room down if she wouldn't accept it. But a thought came and gathered her wits together while closely watching the timer.
"Hey, hospital AI, can you explain this system you're talking about?" She said out loud, expecting a reply like the way Hixa did. However, no reply came.
"What kind of AI is this? Why won't it reply? An old model? The heck. Or is this a hallucination after bumping my head?" She gasped. "Am I having a psycho problem after that hard bump?" She cringed with the thought.
However, her concern went back to the timer.
[Timer: 00:01:42]
"Hmm, greatest inventor. Will this system really help me become a great inventor?" She said while turning her head around, expecting a reply.
But the supposed AI wouldn't reply, and time was running out.
"Grrr. Answer AI. Come on." She bit her lower lip while clutching the blanket on her lap.
While waiting for an answer, the timer seemed to tick faster in her eyes, tensing her nerves.
[Timer: 00:00:10]
She really panicked this time, imagining a loud kaboom when the countdown reaches zero, and hastily tapped the [Yes] button.
The monitor displayed.
[Thank you for accepting. The creator is happy to pass down this system to you. The system will guide your journey to become the greatest inventor of all time.]
[Name: Daisy Barclay
Age: 20 years old Gender: Female (bad choice)
Level: 1 Job: Apprentice
Title: None
Hp:100 Mp: 10
Strength: 10 Agility: 10
Sense: 10 Vitality: 10
Intelligence: 10 Fatigue: 0
Remain points: 5
'Is this for real? Or am I in a game, like what Victor is playing?'
She tried to remember the jewelry box if there was anything peculiar. "Was the box a game console, but what was that light? If that was a simple game machine then it should have been broken after the blast but why is it showing me this?"
Although she was not that good in academics, her parents trained her well with the basics to robotics and hardwares. Daisy dug out the possibilities and results when creating a machine, and her conclusion was that this system was an outdated model but it had some defensive program built to prevent it from being destroyed.
However, where could you find a machine with a defense mechanism where it would create a deafening and strong blast, sending herself to the wall, without destroying it? Unless it was all a trick, a deadly trick for the intruder.
"Hmm, so that means I'm the intruder since I don't meet the requirements."
She was looking at the monitor to find answers for her questions. Then noticed a question mark on the upper right corner. When she pressed it, a message popped up in front of her.
[If you wish to read the FAQ, please press 1. If you wish to speak to the spirit system operator, press 2.]
Answer. [1] [2]
'Seriously! This is getting weird. This is really old school. Was this a common design in the 2000s? Darn! I am born from an old-fashion couple and now received an old-fashioned system. Am I cursed to become an old fashion maid too? What's the point of an outdated model to aid me to become the greatest inventor? Is this a hoax? Am I scammed?"
Her questions were unending. However, the word spirit system piqued Daisy's interest and pressed the number two, and a transparent, floating pretty lady appeared before her.
"Hello! I am Liz. I am here to answer your question."
"Ohh, an AI. Okay, Liz. Tell me the purpose of the system."
"Are you dumb? The system told you that you will talk to a spirit operator. So, don't call me an AI." Liz said with a snob.
"What? Spirit, as in a ghost? But hey, don't call me dumb." Daisy clenched a fist. Her parents never call her dumb but this so-called spirit did it and made her blood boil. Yet, controlled her anger by inhaling and exhaling.
"Dumb dumb girl. I'm not a ghost but a powerful spirit implanted in this system. Anyway, since you've been chosen as the successor of this system, I will answer three of your questions."
"You?" Daisy hissed. She hated to be called dumb but let it slip for now. "Only three? Can you answer more?" she said with a hint of annoyance.
"You are not qualified to get more. You need to increase your level first to get that privilege. So, for your first question. The answer was already written for you when you received the system. I will repeat it for you. The system will guide your journey to become the greatest inventor of all time.
"So, one question down, only two questions left. Before you react and waste more chances to get a reply from me, please understand that the three questions are good per rank. Once you use them all, I won't reply to you again unless you reach the next level," Liz said nonchalantly.
"What? I wasted a question?" Daisy sighed, feeling gloom.
"Yes, girl. Hurry up. Ask the next two questions."
This time Daisy contemplated well and thought of reading what was written in the FAQ first before wasting the two.
Daisy calmed herself and charmingly asked with twinkling eyes. "This is not a question but for clarification, so don't include this in the two. Okay?"
Liz seemed to like this side of Daisy, and thought of giving in. "Hmm, it depends on the question. Let me hear of it first before I'll consider it."
"Good. Can I reserve the other two chances and ask later?"
Liz's eyes lit up and smiled. 'She is getting smarter,' she thought. "Ahh, so you want to save the two for later?"
"Yep."
"Good thinking, girl. So, bye!" Liz said with a wave of a hand and vanished.
"You're so eager to leave, huh? Duh. I'm not that dumb to use the other two for nothing."
The monitor displayed back the choices again.
[If you wish to read the FAQ, please press 1. If you wish to speak to the spirit system operator, press 2.]
Answer. [1] [2]
She pressed the number 1 this time.
[FAQ:
What is this system all about?
Answer: To aid the chosen successor to become the greatest inventor.
Why is there a gender choice for the successor?
Answer: The creator desires a male successor but don't mind a girl as long as it meets the first requirements.
How to level up?
Answer: Follow the daily system guide.
How to open and close the monitor?
Answer: Swipe it to the right to open, to the left for closing.]
"What? That's it?"
Then she heard heavy footsteps outside the room. She hurriedly swiped the screen to the right and it didn't disappear, so she yanked fast her hand to the left with her eyes fixed on the door.
She heaved a deep breath when the screen disappeared. She momentarily forgot Victor couldn't see it.
Victor came in holding a paper bag and threw it on Daisy's lap, and sat back to the sofa with his face on his phone. He anticipated a scolding or a shout from Daisy as she usually did if he acted like she wasn't important to him but none came this time. So, he gave her a furtive glance and found her deep in thoughts.
'Whoa! What is she thinking now?'
Then he heard a ring from his phone and saw a red blinking button at the right corner. He tapped it and a message came.
'Hixa has finished her investigation.' And he gasped after reading the report.