Mark woke in the white room again. Searching around, he did not find the figure covered in blue mist. Instead, he saw a device similar to a gaming pod. Looking at the device, he saw a small opening on one side. Mark got close and looked into the pod.
The figure covered in mist was inside. It was in deep slumber. It suddenly came to him. "This is a Stasis pod." Once he figured this out, he felt the figure move inside. A bright light forced him to close his eyes.
As Mark opened his eyes once more, He found himself lying on a bed. He was in a metallic room, and one of the walls was covered by a large mirror. From the bed, he extended his hand to touch it. As the young man touched the surface of the mirror with the tip of his finger, he saw the reflection and his finger connecting, and he knew. "This is a one-way mirror." The young man whispered under his breath.
Fearing the eyes and ears that might be on the other side of the window, he decided to contact the system mentally. The system had read his thoughts before. This way, he could keep the system hidden from his observers.
"System, are you online?" The young man thought to himself as he looked around the room. On one side, there was only a door. On the other side, a bookshelf with an assortment of old-style books. A desk with an office chair was positioned on the opposite side of the bed where he lay.
The pale blue screen projects onto his sight. "System Online." The bold yellow letters brought the young man a sense of comfort.
"System, have you been able to address the issue with the scanning range?" Mark asked while sitting on the bed.
The screen changes, displaying the answer to his question. "The system's scanning range has improved by 98% of the previous range. While the issue is far from being solved, the scanning range has almost doubled."
"Good, because I think we are going to need that." Mark Stands from the bed and examines his body.
The clothes that he was wearing had been changed into a medical gown. Only his underwear remains from his original outfit. On his forehead, he had a bandage, probably to cover the wound that was inflicted in the fight.
A screen projects a question. "Can the user explain his reasoning?"
Mark decided to ignore the fact that the system was asking questions again. "We are not in a hospital. Normal hospitals don't have one-way mirrors. Also, there are no other patients or any staff."
Seeing no other inquiry, Mark assumed the system accepted his answer. "System, do you have a suggestion that will help us in our current predicament?"
The system screen displayed two options. " System Ability: Hacking, System Ability: Map function."
Mark thought for a moment. "Hacking is an active skill; those cost TP to use."
A secondary screen displays a message. " That is correct. All abilities that require interaction with equipment or materials in the user's surroundings are considered active abilities. The cost will depend on the difficulty of the task."
Because of his situation, he was forced to accept spending his meager reserves of TP. "While I don't have that many TP, it will be necessary to use them if I want to get out of this place."
A realization suddenly hit him. "Wait, I did not get a message displaying daily Bonuses. That means I have not been out for long."
"User, the damage to your head took 2hours of standard human time to repair. Once repaired. You regain consciousness." This system message helped him calculate the time.
"It should be around 10:00 pm., I always receive points around 6:00 am. The wait is too long. Is using the design space to create a new design my only option?"
He remembers his current work on the next version of the McCain Reaper. "I will submit the designs for the actuators and engine independently to gain a surplus of TP. It's not going to be much, but it's a start..."
With a thought, Mark found himself inside the design space. He used the terminals to load all of the actuators for the McCain Reaper version 2. He took the time to tweak them a little. After what seemed like five hours inside the design space, he finished. Now the actuators will fit all rifleman mechs with similar characteristics to the McCain Reaper.
He decided to call it Actuator Mod Package A.R.U. The acronym stands for Assault Rifleman Upgrade. With this, he would be able to upgrade more than one machine. On top of that, if he sells this in his shop, he will receive TP for every mech that makes use of this.
He submitted his design for System Review. Expectation filled him as he awaited the system's judgment.
Design Name: Actuator Mod Package A.R.U.
Technology Type: Functional Upgrade. (Assault Rifleman Mech).
Original Component: 100% TP Awarded: 10,000.
Modified Component: 0% TP Awarded 0.
Technology Impact: B. First Use Bonus: 100tp/ Bonus will be added daily.
Special Note: First original design. A bonus of 10,000tp has been awarded.
The system screen displayed the new Balance. "Your new Balance is 63,979 TP. Your bank balance is 0 TP."
Mark felt satisfied with this result. After all, 20,000 TP is nothing to sneeze at. He took a second look at his engine upgrade. Second thoughts came over him for this design. Unlike the actuators, he had modified an existing engine. His results will not reach his expectations.
He decided to ignore the engine; instead, he opted for fulfilling Alex's request by creating an armor extension for the McCain Reaper. Mark will later use the armor solutions to build an improved protective armor for the new McCain Reaper version.
But before starting that project, he decided to acquire a necessary skill to work with armor for humanoid mechs. Moving to the skills tab, he went to the Mechanical Engineering skills and selected a sub-skill from the Mech Field Skill. Humanoid Armor Optimization. He bought four levels, spending 6,000 TP.
The system reminded Mark of his ever-changing account. " Your purchase has been completed. 6,000 TP were deducted from your account. Your new balance is 57,979 TP. Your bank balance is 0TP.
With this, Mark was ready to begin. He started by examining the materials that composed the old McCain armor. It was composed of an alloy based on exotic materials that were common in the Lishean Commonwealth.
The name of the alloy was Neo Carbonite 320. Even at the time of the original McCain, it was not the best choice in terms of endurance. But it was cheap. The McCain was never meant to be a cutting-edge machine. It was a machine with a low neuronal load for under-performing pilots. In other words, expendable pilots.
Other McCain versions changed this alloy but added a larger price tag to the machine. Mark wanted another solution. Using his alloy treatment skill, he wanted to design a new formula to treat the existing alloy.
After three hours, he developed a solution using common materials. The treatment gave Neo Carbonite 320 four times the durability it had before. This puts the alloy on par with the more economical solutions of the current time. However, the cost of the mech will increase by 25%. Mark saw this as fair trade. He called the new alloy NC 1280. Having a solution ready, he began designing the armor attachment.
Using his new armor optimization skill, he began to work. Since this kind of equipment was not new, he began by searching for references to similar equipment. Two hours went by. The young man had a clear frame of reference to begin with.
Ten hours passed as he fiddled with the harness design. He kept finding the same problem. The harness was causing problems with the emergency ejection systems. This was a grave issue. In the real world, this can cause the death of pilots. Mark took a step back. Instead of looking for a mechanical solution, he decided to add a software patch.
With this new patch, the harness will detach once the ejection procedure begins. Two more hours passed before Mark finished the design. To earn more TP, he decided to submit the NC 1280 as well. Anticipation filled his mind.
Design Name: D.A.E. (Detachable Armor Extension) Harness.
Technology Type: Defensive Improvement (Mech).
Original Component: 72% TP Awarded: 7,200 TP.
Modified component: 28% TP Awarded: 280 TP.
Technology Impact: C. First Use Bonus: 75 TP/Bonus added daily.
Special Note: None.
Design Name: N.C. (Neo Carbonite) 1280.
Technology Type: Modified Alloy Solution.
Original Component: 27% TP Awarded: 2,700TP.
Modified Component: 73% TP Awarded: 730TP.
Technology Impact: D First Use Bonus: 35TP/Bonus added daily.
Special Note: An Improved form of Neo Carbonite is still the same alloy.
Mark felt like facepalming himself. The system was right. Because of his situation, he failed to see the obvious. He took a Breath and awaited the system message with his new balance.
The system didn't make him wait. "Your new balance is 68,889 TP. Your Bank balance is 0 TP."
Mark did not gain as many TP as he wanted, but they will have to do. He was getting too close to the 20-hour limit he had set for himself. Before exiting the design space, he decided to check the system's abilities.
The system displayed the description for the Map Function. "With this ability, the user has access to a map displaying the area around the user. Set ability, like basic design space, comes with advancements. To purchase the second level, you must first buy the first level. Unlike the basic design space, the map function has ten levels."
Mark taped again on the skill to purchase the basic level. It cost him 5,000tp. A small map was projected into the top right corner of his view. The distance was around 90 meters in all directions with his body in the center. Setting the map on a top view, Mark saw the layout of the area, but nothing else.
The young man notices a black area behind the wall of his cell. "System, what is this black area behind my cell?"
The prompted message read as follows. "User, the black areas in the map represent obstacles such as walls or filled spaces."
Mark took a moment to understand the system message. "This means we are underground."
Mark needed more information. "System, what do I gain with the second level of the map function?"
The usual screen projected the answer. "The second level will double the range of the map. A basic F.O.F. (Friend Or Foe) function is included. Friendlies will be displayed as green dots, enemies will be shown as red dots, and neutral beings will be shown as white dots."
Mark pondered for a second. The second level had a cost of 10,000 TP. Along with the first level, there is a total of 15,000 TP. That was almost half of the TP his design run produced. Since he needed the information, the young man decided to buy it.
"Your new balance is 53,889 TP. Your bank balance is 0 TP." The system never relented when it came to the TP balance.
Marks' map doubled in size, 180 meters in every direction. He had to use a mental command to zoom in on his immediate area. Red dots and white dots appeared on the map. A single green dot caught his eye. According to the map layout, this green dot was three cells over to his right side, and it was a large cell.
A question jumped into his mind. "Did any of my friends get captured along with me?" Shaking his head, he decided to finish his preparations before mounting a rescue. He went back to the system ability tab.
With a tap, he bought the system hacking ability. This cost him 2,000TP. Active abilities were not expensive to buy. The real cost came with the constant use and the difficulty of the task. Mark only hoped he had enough.
"Your new Balance is 51,889 TP. Your bank balance is 0 TP." Mark basically ignored the system message.
He exited the basic design space. As he started to move towards the door, three red dots were moving in the hallway. Mark returned to the bed and feigned sleep. The door to his cell opens. Mark hears footsteps closing in, but keeps his eyes closed. The footsteps move to the desk in front of him, and a dragging sound soon follows.
A man's voice came from the direction of the desk. "Boy, I know you are awake. I don't know how; you were supposed to be sedated, but you are awake. It's the breathing you see, it gave you away. ...Don't feel bad, I have years of experience dealing with unconscious people."
Mark dropped the facade. He opened his eyes and sat on the bed. Across from him, an older man with a resemblance to him sat on a chair. The young man decided to scan him. Blinking twice with his right eye, the information came out.
Device Name: Surrogate Body.
Technology Level: Level 5.
Use: Support. (Remote Operation).
Creator: Evolugen, Cyber/Tech branch.
Device Blueprints acquired.
Mark was surprised by this. His mouth moved involuntarily, letting his thoughts come out. "You are not human."
The man at the desk smiled. "You have keen eyesight on top of your resilient metabolism. You are getting more interesting by the second, Mark." A light chuckle followed his words.
Mark decided to keep quiet. His bad habit of saying too much could harm him in this situation. Instead, he observed the man. His movements, expressions, and mannerisms. They were perfectly human. However, the perfection of the skin, the detailed texture, and coloration gave Mark the answer. This kind of perfection was not natural. He learned that while observing the A.M.S. simulations.
With a look of amusement, the man posed a question. "What gave me away?"
Mark used his observations to cover the results of his scan. "Your skin, ...it's fake."
The man laughs. "You are really smart; that comes from the improved genes I gave your father." He pauses for a moment and observes Mark like an artist observing his work. "Rest assured, boy, I'm human. This is something called a surrogate body. It's meant to keep me safe. My real body is somewhere else."
With these words, Mark knew to whom he was speaking. This man was his grandfather on his father's side. In his previous life, he never met the man. But his father told him about the experiments and painful treatments this man performed on him.
Mark's face darkens. "You are Moreau Parker."
The man's smile dropped. "It's Doctor Moreau Parker. I earned that title with my work and dedication. You will do well to use it."
Dr. Parker takes a deep breath. "I'm sure your mother told you horror stories about the things I do. About how the sins of the father were visited upon his son. They are true, But they always leave the good parts out."
Mark remained silent. And let the man continue to speak his monologue. Meanwhile, he uses the map function to observe his surroundings. The two red dots that accompanied Dr.Parker remained at the door. He could not make a move; the odds were against him.
"Mark, the truth is that without my treatments, your father would have been nothing. He would have never met your mother, and you would have never been born. In truth, you are only alive because of me. ...So you see, I'm not so bad after all." Doctor Parker was patting his own back.
Doctor, if you are not so bad, then would you let me and my friends go?" With a single question, Mark brought down the Doctor's monologue.
The Doctor looked at Mark, as a lion looks at a zebra. "Mark, my boy, I'm afraid I can't let you go; we have to check your DNA for bugs or hidden problems. After all, you were not supposed to stabilize without help. As for your friends, they were never brought here."
These words rang in Mark's head. "Does this mean that I was skinny because of something you did to me?" All of the times he got bullied and his pent-up frustration for not being able to overcome his state came to mind. An expression of anger took over his face.
The Doctor saw his face, and before anything happened, he spoke the truth. "No, my boy, this was done to you by your ignorant parents. You see, every time humans play with our DNA, unexpected results can show their ugly faces. That is why people with DNA changes need to plan their children. Besides, I did not know you existed until eight years ago."
The Doctor's words succeeded in calming the young man. But for some reason, the phrase eight years ago stuck with him. A familiar sensation tugged at his feelings, but he was unable to identify it. Mark decided to deal with it later.
"Well, my boy, I have to go. I loved your little chat, but I have to keep making the rounds." The Doctor took a sample case from his pocket. "But before I go, I need to take some samples."
Mark decided to cooperate for now. Once the doctor and the guards were gone, he would start his escape plan. But before leaving, he needed to check that green dot on the map.
The doctor placed a collection device against Mark's shoulder. The sample tube started to fill, yet Mark felt no pain.
"Thank you for cooperating, Mark. I will reward you for this." As the Doctor finished his collection, the man left the room.