2.2: A Not So Harmless USB pt 2

"Like I get multiple classes?"

"No, of course not. A system is tied to a class, but you would be able to gain skills from other classes as well, allowing you to become more powerful than any other system user," Leviathan explained.

"And what would I have to do in return?"

"Update me on the state of the galaxy, do my bidding, simple things like that."

"Find a way to free you from the interbox?" Lusac raised an eyebrow.

"Ahem, yes, that would fall under the 'do my bidding' category," Leviathan tentatively agreed.

"And what if I take the system and then just unplug you?" Lus decided it was better to get the answer to such an obvious plan, even if Leviathan was going to lie about it. At least he could probe the entity's mind a little more.

"The system would be tied to me. If I go, so does it," Leviathan answered, and Lus suspected that was the full truth.

"I'm not sure I want the galaxy to end. If I eventually set you free, won't you just kill me and move on to the rest of the population?"

"I want to rule the galaxy, but that's only fun if there are people to rule. I won't hurt you or your friends, assuming you don't stand in my way to overthrowing the government," Leviathan promised.

Lus smiled. The government was sort of falling apart anyway with the whole civil war bit. Adding Leviathan in would cause enough chaos with the Feds and the Coporates, that the Runners might get free reign of the galaxy. And that was a pleasant thought.

"Leviathan, I believe we have a deal," Lusac said. He held his hand out to the holoscreen, but quickly lowered it once he realized he was trying to shake hands with a 2D image.

"Hold the USB drive. That will suffice as a proper marking of the agreement," Leviathan instructed.

Lus did so, and Leviathan spoke in some garbled tongue that Lus didn't recognize as any of the standard languages. The lights went out, leaving only the red glow of Leviathan on the interbox screen.

A jolt shot through Lus's hand, and he yelped, pulling away. He shoved his tingling fingers in his mouth to try and suck some of the burning pain away. Leviathan grinned at him, but before Lus could ask what was so funny, a blue screen appeared before him.

[Class Gained: Chef]

[Level 1]

"Chef?" Lusac asked incredulously. "Why in Watcher's name did you give me a cooking class? Do I look like a blasted chef to you?"

Leviathan smiled wider. "You didn't specify what kind of class you wanted, so I went ahead and assumed based on your living quarters."

"Why you… I should just unplug you now for that." Lusac used his good hand to reach for the USB, but he found it wouldn't budge.

"We've made a deal, boy. You're as stuck with me as I am with you."

"You said if I pulled the data stick out, I'd just lose the system, not that I'd be stuck with you in the interbox forever," Lusac said.

"Did I? My mistake."

But Lus knew the Demon got exactly what it wanted out of this, and Lus feared what else awaited him in this new partnership.

"Well how exactly does this all work then? Do I have to kill other cooks to gain experience?" Lus decided to focus on the issue at hand, his new system, rather than try anymore haggling with the interbox entity. He'd dug himself into enough trouble as it was.

The rhombus shaped eyes rolled themselves. "No, you nincompoop. Experience is based on things you do relating to your class. Since you're a [Chef], that means you need to cook."

Lus frowned. The crew had already made it clear how much his cooking skills were lacking, and the idea of relying on them for increasing his stats and becoming a legendary figure like Nippy was sort of his worst nightmare.

His mood brightened as he considered one silver lining to this doomed deal. "Since I'm a [Chef], my cooking will improve as I level up, right?" Maybe the crew wouldn't hate him quite so much in the end.

"Obviously. Sheesh, for a guy who claimed to know everything about systems, you don't really seem to know anything."

"Well what skills do I currently have that help? Surely even a level one [Chef] has something to help," Lusac questioned.

"You know, I think it might be best for you to figure that out yourself. Sort of a learn as you go kind of thing," Leviathan mused. "Yes, what better way to acquaint you with the system than to let you discover all the features yourself."

The jagged smile returned. "Good luck Lusac Arten. I'm going to take a quick nap while you explore what exactly it means to be a [Chef]." How did Leviathan know his name? He couldn't recall having ever said it.

"Wait," Lus called. "You can't just dump this on me and run. I need your help."

But it was too late. The red face blinked out of existence, and next thing he knew, the holoscreen on the interbox returned to its usual menu with the same poor selection of recipes left behind by the late ship's cook, Wlnp. He left them all in an obscure dialect of the Kremel language which was no help to Lus who only knew his native Human tongue and standardized Nemarian, a requirement for any interstellar traveler.

With a sigh, Lusac ran his hands through his thick brown hair, messing up whatever style was left behind after the mission.

"I can do this. I can figure this out by myself," he muttered while shooting one last angry glare at the Demon-less holoscreen. The lights were back to their usual dimness, and it took a few seconds for Lus's eyes to fully adjust to the lower light used by the majority of the crew. Even though the Argo carried a Human captain, the vast majority of the crew were Kremel and Nemarian who all preferred things a little on the dark side, leaving the few Humans to deal with it.

Lus closed his eyes, scrunched his face, and thought really hard about the system. He didn't think of anything more specific than that, but after about thirty seconds, he half opened one eye.

He cried in excitement at the blue screen waiting before him.

It was his own personal stat page, with his name and class nestled in the right hand corner. As for the stats themselves, well, they weren't overly impressive, but the fact that he could see them brought some amount of comfort that he might get something out of this agreement after all.

[Stamina: 5]

[Intelligence: 7]

[Strength: 4]

[Charm: 3]

[Health: 8]

[Speed: 7]

[Common Sense: -1]

[Luck: 7]

"Negative one?" he questioned aloud to himself. "What? How? But, but, I swear I'm not that dumb."

Glancing at the USB housing the Demon he may have just sold his soul too, Lus reconsidered that statement.

"Well at least all the rest of them are positive. That's a good sign. I'm probably doing great compared to average, non-systemers," he told himself.

Thinking about other people, he glanced up to the available tabs and noticed that one was labeled, 'Nearby Stats.' He reached out and taped it to see a list containing the names of every crew member on it.

First he checked Nippy's. The Kremel who worked as Captain Tave's second-in-command was well known for his system that granted him incredible fighting skills. Lus choked back a gasp as he stared at the stats of the level 51, [Raging Warrior]. All of them were positive, and most were above 20. [Luck] remained low at 9, but his [Stamina], [Strength], and [Health] were all above 50, with [Strength] clocking in at a whooping 72.

"Well Nippy has had his system for years. He's not a fair comparison," Lus said, quickly jumping to Zer-Dasht. The Nemarian had been on this crew for only five years so he wasn't anything special.

Once again, Lus's heart sank a little as he noted that Dasht was still [Level 12], and his stats reflected that, with most being above 10, and [Intelligence] being 26.

"I'll look at Relf. That pudgy cargo pusher won't have anything on me," Lus said as he tried to regain some confidence.

The last of his confidence plummeted however when he viewed his nemsis's stats.

"Not one negative?!? But he doesn't do anything but sit around all day," Lus complained. "And how on Treft is he more charming than me? Even the Kremel hate him."

Lusac swiped the screen away, or attempted to, but the blue box remained in front of him.

"Go away," he cried angrily before leaning back against the counter to center his spiraling thoughts. Thai time, the screen listened, leaving him in the dim kitchen in peace.

"It's fine. It's fine," he repeated in a whisper. He ran his hands down his face as he faced the truth. "I guess I am a loser."

"Giving up already?" a familiar condescending voice asked.

Lusac glared at the red face which returned to the interbox holoscreen. "What do you want now?"

"Herm, well it seems being locked in this internbox-"

"Interbox," Lus corrected him with a growl.

"Interbox," Leviathan amended, "means I'm stuck listening to everything that goes on in this disaster you call a kitchen."

"Go away again. I don't want your help."

"I didn't offer it."

"So then why are you here?"

"To gloat mostly."

"Well are you done with that?" Lus's patience for the so-called Demon was on its last thread. He'd find a way to pull that data stick out, even if he had to hammer it to pieces to do it.

Leviathan grinned. "Good day, Lusac. Try not to make too much a mess, hm?"

The screen flashed back to the recipe selection just as Lus's fist went to meet it. He cursed as his knuckles crunched into the shiny alunitanium door of the interbox.

"Let's see what else this waste of a system has," he said as he called the blue screen back up.

He scanned the tabs, and immediately latched onto the one labeled 'Recipes.'

"Now we're talking." Lus taped it and opened to see a pitiful list containing one recipe, [Beginner's Luck Soup]. "You've got to be kidding me. What kind of [Chef] knows only one recipe?"

Before he could grumble about his lot in life further, the communicator beeped and Nippy's voice boomed through the kitchen.

"Yo, Lus. When's dinner going to be ready?"

[New Quest Unlocked!]

[Name: Cook Something Edible]

[Description: cook something the crew doesn't hate]

[Time limit: None]

[Reward: 100 XP]